If your employer offers a benefit to the husbands or wives of employees (access to insurance schemes, pensions, cheaper travel, even facilities such as a gym or a canteen, or social events) the same benefits must be offered to the civil partners of employees.

It is lawful for an employer to deny to cohabiting partners the benefits offered to husbands, wives, or civil partners of employees, but if your employer offers a benefit to the cohabiting partners of employees in a mixed-sex relationship, the same benefits must be offered to the cohabiting partners of employees in a same-sex relationship.

Example: if only husbands and wives are invited to the workplace Christmas party, it is lawful for your employer to say Robin can bring her civil partner but Dan cannot bring his bidie-in. If the mixed-sex bidie-ins are also invited to the Christmas party, it is unlawful not to invite a same-sex bidie-in, too.