During its upcoming 2019-2020 term, the Supreme Court will rule on whether the 1964 Civil Rights Act applies to LGBTQ discrimination. Google today filed a friend of the court brief encouraging that those protections be extended.
Google and the other 205 companies on the LGBTQ brief for the Supreme Court encompass a vast range of industries, with 7 million employees in total and $5 trillion in revenue. Tech firms include Amazon, Apple, Google, and Microsoft, which all share a “common interest in equality because they know that ending discrimination in the workplace is good for business, employees, and the U.S. economy as a whole.”
To the contrary, recognizing that Title VII prohibits these forms of sex discrimination would strengthen and expand benefits to businesses, such as the ability to recruit and retain top talent; to generate innovative ideas by drawing on a greater breadth of perspectives, characteristics, and experiences; to attract and better serve a diverse customer base; and to increase productivity among employees who experience their workplace as a place where they are valued and respected.
These signatories believe that their own voluntary policies are “not a substitute for the force of law,” and that state and local laws are insufficient. Extending Title VII of the Civil Rights Act to LGBTQ workers “as uniform federal law” would provide “consistency and predictability.”
Arguments will be heard this fall, while a ruling by the Supreme Court is expected in June 2020. The full arguments cited in the brief are as follows:
1. Excluding Sexual Orientation And Gender Identity From Title VII’s Protection Against Sex Discrimination Would Undermine The Nation’s Business Interests
- The U.S. Economy Benefits From A Diverse Workforce
- Excluding Sexual Orientation And Gender Identity From Title VII’s Prohibition On Sex Discrimination Would Undermine Diverse And Inclusive Workplaces
2. Uniform Federal Protections Against Sexual Orientation And Gender Identity Discrimination Are Necessary To Provide Businesses And Employees With Consistency And Certainty
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Comments