Gainey Law, PLLC Seattle Employment Law Attorney

Statement by EEOC Chair Janet Dhillon on Older Americans Month May 2020 Message from Chair Janet Dhillon The EEOC enforces the ADEA with enthusiasm, as we do with all other statutes.  After all, one basic principle and spirit informs all the laws we enforce.  It should be a no-brainer that no one should be denied a job -- or treated unfairly at one – because of their age.  But I’m afraid we have to keep educating and enforcing in every way we can – including litigation as a last resort. Read more here .

A word from the Unemployment Department of Washington State ALERT:  Our system update is complete and eServices is online. However, both the site and our phone lines are experiencing extremely high volumes. Pages are loading slowly and call wait times are long. Please keep trying or come back and try later. If you are calling to submit your weekly claim, please try back after 5 p.m. Thank you for your patience. We apologize for the inconvenience. For more information visit www.ESD.gov   

While many of us are itching to get back to some semblance of "normal life," the indicators are not there to suggest that will be possible or safe immediately. The curve may be flattening, but without adequate testing for antibodies what does that mean for re-opening businesses? Its hard to say. Here are the statistics we do know to date. Read more about Washington's confirmed cases here. Seattle-King County Public Health’s Jeff Duchin  spoke out this week  about how prepared Washington is to reopen, noting that even with the outbreak waning, it’s not yet time to relax social distancing measures. Read more. Dr. Gordan Cohen joined Seattle's morning news to explain: Reopening the Economy before a vaccine will call for strict sanitation protocols. So, hang in there Washington and we will get through this together. To that end, I found this list of the 80, yes 80, things to do while stuck at home. Read More about things to do while stuck at home bored here.

EEOC addresses back to work issues in recent COVID-19 update. Law360 outlines a few of the issues: One question covered what employers should do about potential harassment and discrimination once their workplaces reopen. The EEOC said that employers can remind its workers that bias won't be tolerated and advise management of its role in stopping and reporting harassment and discrimination. In the new section on returning to work, the EEOC fielded inquiries about screening workers and providing accommodations for personal protective equipment. The agency said the ADA lets employers make inquiries and conduct medical exams if they're necessary for keeping out workers who have a medical condition that poses "a direct threat to health or safety." But the agency also advised that employers should be careful not to "engage in unlawful disparate treatment based on protected characteristics in decisions related to screening and exclusion." Additionally, whil...

https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=1117118571999452&ref=watch_permalink The ESD system should be updated this Sunday. Get ready. Get your paystub, 1099 form or tax document ready to allow ESD to figure out how much is due to you. https://www.esd.wa.gov/ . BE PREPARED! Get your account set up and your paperwork in order so ESD can get you the benefits you need.

Update: Funds for this program were exhausted as of April 17, 2020. More funds are supposedly on the way. Stay tuned. According to Bank of America's website it seems like the banks that are administrating the loans for the federal government want you to be a customer (prior to Feb 15, 2020) with an existing loan or line of credit. However, so long as you are a business banking customer without a business loan with another bank you can apply through your bank. Read more here .

The Small Business Association is hiring workers to help small biz owners apply for disaster assistance. Work remotely from the safety of your home & make extra money during this difficult time! Bilingual a plus & they’re looking for all ranges of positions from customer service to operations & supervisors. Pay rates is pretty good and help folks desperately in need.More information here: SBA HIRING WORK FROM HOME