Washington Labor and Employment Blog
The latest case law and legal developments in Washington labor & employment law.
By Kate Acheson
As a case of first impression, a Washington State District Court recently found, in Hansen v. Boeing Co., that an employee is protected against retaliation for requesting or utilizing reasonable accommodation for a disability under the Washington State Law Against Discrimination (WSLAD). [Read more…]
By David Worley
In Ockletree v. Franciscan Health Systems, 27 AD Cases 442 (W.D. Wash. 2012), a Washington federal district court refused to dismiss the plaintiff’s ADA claims against a religious hospital when the discriminatory action was not religiously motivated. Whether the religious exemption under the Washington Law against Discrimination (WLAD) applied to non-religious based discriminatory firings by religious institutions is currently an unanswered question in Washington. Although there was no actual record that the claims had been timely filed, the SOL may have been longer if the WLAD did apply to this claim, so dismissal for untimely firing could not be decided at this point. The court dismissed the plaintiff’s discharge in violation of public policy claim, holding that the statutory remedies were sufficient and therefore precluded a common-law claim. [Read more…]
