Kaweesa’s workplace finally introduced medical insurance cards for all employees and their immediate families. Each employee is entitled to a card for themself, a spouse and three children. Kaweesa has been dating Susana for 11 years, and they live together and have two children. When this communication was made, he registered Susana, his two children and included Kawuki, his brother’s daughter, ‘so as not to waste opportunity and resources. He was issued only three cards, one for himself and his two children. Kaweesa finds this confusing because Susana is his ‘wife’ even though they have not married yet. Can his boss really do this to him?
WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY?
First, let us clear up something about medical insurance. It is a common assumption that health insurance is a legal requirement. This is not the case. Health insurance is one of the voluntary employee benefits that an employer can choose to give employees.
The employer can specify which class of people can benefit from this. Suppose the employer covers the spouse and children. In that case, it means the person you are legally married to, either customarily, through civil marriage, church, Islamic or Hindu. These are the people who are recognized as ‘married’ in law. Children also mean both biological and adopted children.
It is up to the employee to discuss with the employer whether to include their partner, who is not their legal spouse.
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