Gainey Law, PLLC Seattle Employment Law Attorney

It's happening all over the place. Your temporary Covid-19 furlough or lay-off has turned into a termination. Your company has handed you a severance letter that includes a lot of language requiring you to do things and refrain from doing things. It may offer a nominal sum of money. Should you sign the severance agreement?  the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has some advice on the severance agreements. Click Here to review  the full article. Overview:  Make sure that you understand the agreement Check for deadlines and act promptly Consider having an attorney review the severance agreement Make sure you understand what you are giving up in exchange for severance pay or benefits Review the agreement to ensure that it does not ask you to release nonwaivable rights

  ABA presents: We are the Lucky Ones: Reunification Stories by Former Foster Youth We have collected powerful stories of individuals who entered the child welfare system when they were children and were eventually returned to their parents. Diana  is now a psychology major in college and hopes to help children who are going through the same experiences she once did.  Read Diana's story. Terrell  recounts his feelings of hearing other adults speak badly of his mother, who is now his best friend and inspiration.  Read Terrell's story. Indira and Titus  are siblings who were separated from each other when they were removed from their home. As children, they were powerless to decide what happened to them and felt their voices were not heard. Now as adults, they decided to tell us what they experienced and how they felt, so that all of us can learn from their stories. Read  Indira's  and  Titus's  stories. --Jey Rajaraman, Chief Counsel, and...

As we all head back to work, what can you do if your workplace is unsafe? Can unions protect you? How do you protect yourself? Info can be found here: Covid-19 Grievances 

Harassment can be serious and dangerous. Take steps to protect yourself. Here are some resources to help. UPCOMING TRAINING TOMORROW AUGUST 27, 2020  Bystander Intervention to Stop Police Sponsored Violence and Anti-Black Racist Harassment training Step by step flow chart to find out if you can apply for a protection order and which one applies to your circumstances:  Go To King County Courts / Protection Order Info. Hollaback.org offers trainings, information and education on stopping all forms of harassment: Go To iHollaback.org   For inspiration while you educate yourself, perhaps some old school Gwen Stefani?: Gwen Stefani Song

Communities Rise provides Free legal resources for non-profit organizations and small businesses with fewer than 50 employers and 2-million in yearly revenue. To find out more go here .

As schools plan to open and teachers and other workers wonder what their rights are to Not return to work answers are not as clear as we would like. However, do not make any rash decisions. A lot can change in a few short weeks (isn't that the lesson of 2020?). The non-profit legal aid Unemployment Law Project has been recording weekly FAQs. You can watch them all here:  QUESTIONS?  to find out about your rights as an employer or employee with regards to unemployment benefits. 

     Sometimes I meditate. It helps decrease stress and it helps me focus on the tedious task of applying facts to law - the basic work of lawyers. I usually do it alone using the Headspace app. Sometimes I use the Calm App. Sometimes I join group meditations.  Top attorney and psychologist  Lisa Blue  was holding Monday morning sessions for awhile which was great. And locally I have attended in person and (more recently) remote Zoom sessions through SIMS. Tuere Sala is my favorite teacher. She is a former prosecutor - meditation helped her deal with the stressors of law school and litigation. She also teaches Qi Gong, and I was lucky enough to score an instruction and practice DVD from her before the pandemic hit. It has been one of the tools I use to stay sane during this time.      Recently, as a member of  WSAJ's diversity committee, I was searching out anti-racism resources and discovered that  SIMS has a wonderful ...