Greedy corporations and health care systems take advantage of their employees on a regular basis in order to increase their profits and pump up their bottom line. This abuse is not limited to hourly workers and unskilled laborers, either. Executives, physicians, researchers, and other professionals also suffer discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wage theft.
In the Pacific Northwest, there is no more experienced employment lawyer than Scott Blankenship. If you are a victim of employment abuse, reach out to our team to find out if we can help you get justice.
Types of Employment Law Cases We Handle
Employment law encompasses a broad range of legal principles and regulations that govern the relationship between employers and employees. Employee rights laws ensure that workers are protected from unfair treatment, discrimination, harassment, wage theft, and other violations in the workplace.
As an employment rights law firm, we play a crucial role in advocating for the rights of employees. We provide legal representation and guidance to individuals facing employment-related issues, and we assist clients in understanding their rights, navigating complex laws and regulations, and pursuing legal remedies when their rights are violated. We seek justice and fair treatment for clients facing discrimination, harassment, wage theft, wrongful termination, and retailiation for whistleblowing.
Discrimination
These cases involve unfair treatment or adverse actions based on protected characteristics such as race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or genetic information. These violations do not only happen to candidates during the hiring process. Active employees can also be discriminated against when decisions are made about compensation, status, transfers, promotions, and layoffs. Potential legal remedies include monetary compensation for damages, reinstatement, legal fees, and injunctive relief to prevent further discrimination.
Harassment
Harassment cases involve unwelcome behavior based on protected characteristics that create a hostile work environment or lead to adverse employment actions. Workplace harassment could be verbal, physical, psychological, sexual, or "virtual," meaning through emails, texts, or social media. If the treatment interferes with work performance, affects the employee's physical or emotional well-being, or involves someone who is a superior within the organization, it could be considered harassment. Remedies may include compensation for emotional distress, punitive damages, and injunctive relief to stop the harassment.
Wage Theft
These cases involve employers failing to pay employees the wages they are legally entitled to, such as minimum wage violations, unpaid overtime, tip theft, misclassification of employees, and illegal deductions. Wage theft laws also address issues of employee breaks, meal periods, compensatory time off, child labor, and continuation of health insurance. Remedies may include back wages, liquidated damages, and potential penalties imposed on the employer via a class action lawsuit.
Wrongful Termination
Wrongful termination refers to the unlawful or unjustifiable termination of employment. It occurs when an employer fires or dismisses an employee in violation of employment laws or an employment contract. It is illegal to terminate an employee based on their protected status or in retaliation for an employee engaging in protected activities, such as filing for workers' compensation or reporting workplace misconduct. Monetary damages are awarded in successful wrongful termination actions.
Retaliation for Whistleblowing
Whistleblower cases arise when employees report illegal or unethical activities within their organization. Various state and federal laws protect whistleblowers, such as the False Claims Act and the Whistleblower Protection Act. Remedies may include reinstatement, back pay, compensatory damages, and protection against further retaliation.
Trust The Blankenship Law Firm With Your Employment Law Case
The Blankenship Law Firm is dedicated to fighting for employees' rights, regardless of the type of violation that has been committed. We represent clients from a variety of industries all over the state of Washington and in Oregon and Alaska. If you've experienced discrimination, harassment, wage theft, or retaliation, the experienced employment attorneys at our firm can help you claim what's rightfully yours. Our attorneys have won sizable verdicts and settlements in lawsuits on behalf of clients whose rights were violated. Fill out our contact form to find out if we can help you, too.