Alphabet Inc’s Google, Microsoft Corp, CBS Corp and Viacom Inc urge federal appeals court yesterday imposing the law banning sexual discrimination in the workplace and offering more protection to workers of the LGBT community.

The brief submitted by 50 companies to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan is the very first time large number of businesses are supporting LGBT workers for their protection and rights.  These companies said the discrimination against gay workers is widespread with with more than 40 percent of gay workers reporting harassment and other forms of discrimination in the workplaces.

The lack of a federal law in support of the rights of LGBT community at work and prohibiting bias during recruitment based on sexual orientation is one of the main reason for talent shortage experienced by companies worldwide.

“Recognizing that our uniform federal law protects LGBT employees would benefit individual businesses, and the economy as a whole, by removing an artificial barrier to the recruitment, retention, and free flow of talent,” wrote the companies’ lawyers at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan.

The companies asked the 2nd Circuit to revive a lawsuit by the estate of Donald Zarda, who claimed he was fired from his job as a skydiving instructor on Long Island after he told a customer he was gay and she complained. Zarda died in a skydiving accident after filing the lawsuit.

Also read: LGBT Inclusive Policies in the Workplace: The Hidden Cost of the Glass Closet

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