North Carolina’s Ban on Same-sex Marriage: What Does It Mean for Business?

North Carolina’s new ban (they already had a measure in place stating marriage is between a man and a woman) could end up putting businesses in a tricky situation. 

The new law, which passed 61% to 39%, states that marriage between a man and a woman is the only valid domestic legal union. So how does this affect businesses? Well any business in North Carolina that is currently covering people who are in same-sex marriages/civil unions/domestic partnerships OR in opposite-sex civil unions/domestic partnerships might have to stop recognizing those relationships according the new law. Unfortunately some of those organizations have pretty strict equality measures in place.

TD Bank for instance, a branch of the Toronto-Dominion Bank recognizes civil unions, civil/domestic partnerships, and same-sex marriages. How would they be supposed to operate within North Carolina when the law states that they cannot recognize those? Will they and other organizations like it be fined? Furthermore how are companies expected to attract talent from other areas of globe, where many heterosexual couples have shifted towards domestic partnerships rather than marriages (Quebec, many European countries) and their relationships will be made invalid within the state. 

It seems like the law makers and more importantly, the voters, weren’t really thinking of what’s good for North Carolina. They were just thinking how they can screw over a group of people who want nothing more than to have the same rights and privileges that everyone else is entitled to. It turns out they may very well have ended up screwing over their state in the process.