Supreme Court LGBT Ruling Leaves Out 1 in 6 American Workers
- Small businesses excluded from complying with job protections
- Ruling applies to U.S. companies with 15 workers or less
Photographer: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
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The U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision holding that employers can’t discriminate against workers based on their sexual orientation or gender identity has a glaring loophole: It doesn’t apply to small businesses that employ as many as one in six Americans.
A 1960s-era ban on sex discrimination in the workplace was extended to millions of LGBT workers with the court’s 6-3 decision on Monday -- the most significant LGBT ruling since same-sex marriage was legalized in 2015. But the law doesn’t cover companies with fewer than 15 employees.