France: Leroy Merlin ‘named and shamed’ for discriminating against same-sex couple

Following a complaint lodged by a same sex male couple who found their working hours had been altered when Leroy Merlin, the home improvement and gardening retailer learned of their relationship, the company chose to ignore recommendations by the Defender of Rights (Défenseure des droits ) to alter its practices. Consequently the Defender of Rights used its own power of last resort and ‘named and shamed’ the company vis-à-vis discrimination by requesting the case be published in the Official Journal.