A recent Wall Street Journal article about the rise in litigation over non-compete agreements, noted that over the last decade there has been nearly a 60% increase in lawsuits over the breach of these agreements. While an increase could be expected since non-compete clauses have become almost commonplace in employment agreements, the steep increase in… Read More
Employment Blog
Here you can find the most recent employment law news and commentary on cases around the country. If you need assistance with employment law, don't hesitate to call us.
Rights Under Oregon Wage and Hour Laws
All Oregon employees have specific rights under both state and federal wage and hour laws. On the federal level, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires that employer pay employees a minimum hourly wage of $7.25 per hour, as well as time and a half that hourly wage for overtime hours. Oregon employment laws enforce… Read More
Mayor Vetoes Living Wage Bill
As previously discussed on this blog, Washington, D.C. lawmakers had approved a bill that would require large retailers to pay their employees a living wage of at least $12.50 per hour, as opposed to the usual D.C. minimum wage of $8.25 per hour. The bill, called the Large Retailer Accountability Act of 2013 (LRAA), defined… Read More
Former Abercrombie Employee Prevails on Religious Accommodation Claim
Previously on this blog, we discussed a currently pending lawsuit on behalf of a female employee who was fired by Disney because her hijab did not fit in with the “Disney image.” A recent decision may give that Disney employee hope for winning her case. On September 3, 2013, a federal court in California ruled… Read More
Exotic Dancers: Employees or Independent Contractors?
An important decision for every business is whether it should classify workers as employees or independent contractors. This distinction is important for many reasons such as taxes and liability. Furthermore, if a worker is an independent contractor, wage and hour provisions under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) do not apply. For this reason, many… Read More
Public School District Harassed Injured Worker
In order for behavior in the workplace to constitute harassment under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 or other employment laws, the offensive conduct must be pervasive or severe enough to cause a hostile work environment for the victim. In order to determine whether a work environment is, in fact, hostile, a… Read More
New Contract for Seattle Teachers as Children Head to Class
Negotiating or re-negotiating contracts is an important and potentially stressful situation nearly everyone faces at some point. Recent contract negotiations between the Seattle school district and the Seattle Education Association (SEA) ended in an agreement right before a deadline that would have led to a teachers’ strike. Both sides had their demands. As the Seattle… Read More
Employment Non-Discrimination Act Gets a Vote in the Senate
Many people across the nation may have more to be thankful for at Thanksgiving this year because these individuals may be one step closer to employment equality. Currently gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transsexual individuals can be fired in 29 states based solely on their sexual orientation. Furthermore, there are 33 states where an employee can… Read More
Washington's Department of Labor and Industry Want To Make A Change
The Tri-City Herald recently posted a story detailing Washington State’s Department of Labor and Industry’s efforts and intent to be more “user friendly,” particularly for employers. The Department of Labor and Industry is a state agency that handles everything thing from employee complaints over safety to workers’ compensation claims to licensing. The department assists and… Read More
Employees Over 50 Enjoy Their Jobs More, But It Is Not All Roses
In 2005, the national retirement age was pushed from 65 to 67 and the average age of our population is getting older. When you combine these two facts, particularly in this economy, there is a good chance that employers will have many employees over the age of 40. For most people this may seem like… Read More