The Firm is pleased to announce that it has moved its office to a new floor in the Columbia Tower. Effective September 9, 2019, the Firm’s new address is: 701 5th Ave. Suite 4850 Seattle, WA 98104-7094 The Firm’s phone number and fax number will remain the same. Individual direct phone numbers and email addresses will also remain the same. If you have any questions concerning the Firm’s move, please call at (206) 447-0182.
In May 2019, Governor Jay Inslee signed a new bill into law, restricting non-competition agreements in Washington. The law makes non-competition agreements for employees earning less than $100,000 per year unenforceable. For employees earning over $100,000 annually, it creates the presumption that such an agreement for a period longer than 18 months is unreasonable and unenforceable. The law also makes non-competition agreements for independent contractors earning less than $250,000 annually unenforceable. These salary thresholds will be adjusted annually due to … Continue reading
Employers are often wondering whether they should consider mandatory arbitration agreements for their non-union employees. Such arbitration agreements provide many advantages to the employer-employee relationship. As the law continues to develop, employers are asking more and more whether arbitration agreements are right for their workplace. What is an arbitration? Arbitration is a form of dispute resolution where an employment dispute is privately resolved by a neutral third-party arbitrator, or panel of such arbitrators. Non-union arbitration typically occurs under the rules … Continue reading
The National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) issued a decision this year that serves as a reminder to employers about their responsibilities when an employee requests union representation during an investigatory interview (referred to as “Weingarten rights”). See YRC Inc., d/b/a YRC Freight, 360 NLRB No. 90 (April 30, 2014). In YRC Freight, the NLRB reiterated that an employer does not violate an employee’s Weingarten rights or rights under the National Labor Relations Act (the “Act”) when it discontinues an interview … Continue reading
The April 10, 2019 registration deadline for Davis Grimm Payne & Marra’s 2019 Employment Law Update is less than 3 weeks away. Don’t miss out on your opportunity to learn and ask questions about recent changes to employment laws from Davis Grimm Payne & Marra attorneys: Selena Smith on “Anti-Harassment Training in the #MeToo Era” Josh Brittingham on the “Latest Changes to Paid Sick and Family Leave Laws” Brian Lundgren on “Staying Out of Court: Mandatory Arbitration Agreements” Cost for … Continue reading
Under Washington’s new Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) law, eligible employees will be entitled to paid leave up to 12 weeks for their own serious health condition (medical leave) or for family care (family leave), up to 16 weeks combined family and medical leave, and up to 2 additional weeks for certain pregnancy complications. Employers must begin remitting premiums and submitting quarterly reports for PFML starting on January 1, 2019. Starting January 1, 2020, employees may begin taking PFML … Continue reading
Recently, a federal judge in the District of Columbia dismissed an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) lawsuit against Walmart on procedural grounds relating to the level of detail required in a complaint. This case serves as a reminder of the the necessary elements for a reasonable accommodation claim. In this case, two employees with hearing limitations alleged that the managers at the Walmart store where they worked failed to accommodate their disability. The two employees had sought sign language interpretation … Continue reading
In July 2018, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced a consent decree involving claims of disability discrimination against a metal products manufacturer. According to the EEOC, this manufacturer violated the law when it: 1) awarded attendance points to employees regardless of the reason for absence, and 2) automatically terminated employees who did not return to work after taking extended leave. Regarding #1, the EEOC explained that this blind points system meant that employees taking leave for ADA or FMLA … Continue reading
This month, the Seattle Office of Labor Standards announced its final revisions to the administrative rules for Seattle’s Paid Sick and Safe Time (“PSST”) ordinance. The rules become effective July 1, 2018. Seattle’s Paid Sick and Safe Time Ordinance requires employers operating in Seattle to provide all employees with paid leave to care for themselves or a family member with a physical or mental health condition, medical appointment, or a critical safety issue, among other reasons. The final administrative rules … Continue reading
On June 27, 2018, the United States Supreme Court issued one of the most anticipated decisions of the year, ruling that nonunion workers cannot be forced to pay fees to public-sector unions. In the Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Council (“AFSCME”) case, Illinois state employee Mark Janus challenged the $45 monthly fee he paid to the public-sector AFSCME union. Janus was not a member of the AFSCME union. However, public-sector employees who declined to join … Continue reading
