"Wal-Mart Settlement in First LGBT Workers' Class Action Reflects Larger Shift", 19 May 2017

...A Boston federal judge approved [a] settlement...to end a [class action] lawsuit that accused the retail giant [Wal-Mart] of discriminating against gay and lesbian employees in denying health insurance benefits to same-sex spouses...Wal-Mart will set aside $7.5 million to compensate employees affected...

This decision could represent the latest in a rapid shift toward LGBT protections in the workplace, a move spurred not only by the interest of companies that feel social pressure but also by the courts, where a company’s failure to offer equal protections could become a liability...

The case—Cote v. Wal-Mart Stores—was filed before Wal-Mart voluntarily made health insurance benefits available to same-sex spouses in 2014. As part of the settlement, Wal-Mart committed to continuing to do so in the future. The settlement will affect several thousand current and former associates...