Articles About Washington Labor And Employment Law.

A private employer in Seattle would be required to provide its employees with “paid sick and safe time” to care for “their own or their family members’ health needs or their own or their family members’ safety or other needs resulting from domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking…” under an ordinance proposed by Seattle City Councilman Nick Licata.

Rejecting an employee’s claims for wrongful termination, the Washington Supreme Court has held that the state Medical Use of Marijuana Act (“MUMA”) does not provide a civil cause of action for wrongful termination based on the employee’s authorized medical marijuana use. Roe v. TeleTech Customer Care Mgmt. (Colorado) LLC, No. 83768-6 (Wash. June 9, 2011). The Court further held that MUMA does not create a clear public policy supporting a tort claim for public policy wrongful discharge.

Responding to findings that approximately one in five employees “directly experience health-endangering workplace bullying, abuse, and harassment” and that “abusive work environments can have serious effects on targeted employees and serious consequences for employers,” a new bill has been introduced in both houses of Washington’s state legislature that will provide a legal remedy for employees and legal incentives for employers to address workplace bullying.