A Washington school superintendent is suing the school board in Richland for more than $1 million for an alleged act of discrimination. The Richland School Superintendent was fired because of an affair with another district employee, but has now turned the lawsuit into an issue of discrimination and declared that the board set him apart… Read More
Posts Categorized In: Seattle
HR Employees Get More Protection Under Washington state Law than Under Federal Law… but not quite
Human resources employees are often responsible for advising the company’s executives of discriminatory practices in the workplace. Under Washington state law, those HR employees who are fired for just doing their jobs may have more protection than under federal law. Steven Lodis, the highest ranking HR officer at Corbis Holdings, Inc., became aware of complaints… Read More
Perception of Homosexuality is Not a Protected Class under Washington's Law Against Discrimination (WLAD)
A recent case from Eastern Washington grappled with this interesting issue: whether a person can establish a claim of hostile work environment when he is harassed based on the perception that he is something that he is in fact not. In the case of Davis v. Fred’s Appliance, Inc., Division III of the Washington Court… Read More
Will Portland's City Council Follow Seattle's Lead and Enact a Paid Sick Leave Ordinance?
Over five years ago San Francisco’s paid sick leave ordinance went into effect, which required employers to provide paid sick leave to all employees working within the city limits. As we discussed in another post [click here], Seattle recently followed San Francisco’s example and enacted its own paid sick leave ordinance. (In fact, Seattle’s ordinance… Read More
Seattle's New Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance – How Local Law Can Affect Employment
Whether people realize it or not a great deal of law affects their employment. There are laws affecting employment made by Congress at the federal level (e.g. Fair Labor Standards Act). There are laws affecting employment made by the Washington legislature at the state level (e.g. Washington Minimum Wage Act). And perhaps less well known… Read More
Felon's Rights Proposal Could Ban Discrimination in Seattle
If you have served a prison sentence for a felony, then you will probably have a difficult time securing a job in the future. Oftentimes employers will run background checks on employees. If they have the luxury to be picky, they will avoid people who have a criminal record in their past. There are certain… Read More
Former Vice Principal at Seattle High School Prevails in Sexual Harassment Suit
A former vice principal at Ballard High School in Seattle, WA was awarded over $600 thousand in damages following a jury trial in King County Superior Court based on allegations that she was subjected to sexual harassment. The former vice principal, Glenda Williams, claimed that she was subjected to repeated overtures by Ballard High… Read More
Washington Public Lands Commissioner Addresses Sexual Harassment Allegations
Washington’s public lands commissioner, Doug Sutherland, is in political hot water after documents recently surfaced showing that he inappropriately touched a new female employee in his own department. Public records show that in January 2005, Sutherland touched the young woman’s back and made comments that she and at least one other individual overheard and found… Read More
Department of Labor Sues Washington Prisons for Overtime Violations
The Washington State Department of Corrections has been sued by the U.S. Department of Labor for widespread violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act. According to published reports, the damages in the case will likely be millions of dollars. After a three-year investigation, the Department of Labor believes that the state violated the rights of… Read More
New Outdoor Heat Rules for Washington Workers
The Washington Department of Labor and Industries has adopted new rules for employees who work outdoors. The rules take effect on July 5 and are designed to address health hazards created by working outdoors in hot weather. According to the Department, three workers have died in the past three years from working outdoors on hot days,… Read More