Gainey Law, PLLC Seattle Employment Law Attorney

It’s been over two years, since we filed her lawsuit. We waded through a complicated case, but with patience and persistence we finally prevailed via mediation with former Judge Richard McDermott. Through is all; my client pushed past her anxiety, and remained resolute in her resolve to hold some very powerful people accountable. She stood up against abuses of power that included sexual harassment, retaliation, and a whole lot of gaslighting - not to mention discovery schenaningans the likes of which I have never seen. Congratulations Ms. Maes ;). 

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sept. 11, 2024 EEOC Research Finds Unequal Opportunity in the High Tech Sector and Workforce   WASHINGTON – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today released a report, “ High Tech, Low Inclusion: Diversity in the High Tech Workforce and Sector from 2014 - 2022 ” which highlights demographic disparities for workers in 56 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) occupations and the industries employing them. The report assesses the current state of diversity in the high tech workforce and those employed in the high tech sector. It also discusses the most common discrimination charges filed by high tech sector workers with the EEOC, building on previous reports from 2016 and 2017 by the EE...

     Recently, I had the pleasure of reconnecting with Meredith Holley of Eris Conflict Resolution. Ms. Holley is a  Workplace conflict mediator, communication coach, lawyer, and bestselling author. Her book Career Defense 101 is a must read for any women striving to make it in the professional arena. Career Defense 101 .  She and I have a lot in common. We both live and work in the pacific northwest. Both are, or until recently were, plaintiff's employment lawyers working to uphold worker's rights. Both have been subject to workplace sexual harassment. In Ms. Holley's case she was able to address the sexual harasser in a way that allowed her to continue working with them safely for years afterward. She no longer litigates, but she does share her knowledge and skills to enable other workers to survive targeting, harassment, and other forms of hostile work environments without losing their professional momentum - or their minds!  A couple of weeks ago, I met...

 Though many corporate Defendants still try to slip in illegal Non-Disparagement or Non-Disclosure agreements into Settlement Agreements in Employment Law Cases the law could not be more clear that these clauses are now VOID as AGAINST Public Policy: The intent of the Silence No More Act is straight forward: “ The legislature recognizes that there exists a strong public policy in favor of the disclosure of illegal discrimination, illegal harassment, illegal retaliation, wage and hour violations, and sexual assault, that is recognized as illegal under Washington state, federal, or common law, or that is recognized as against a clear mandate of public policy, that occurs at the workplace, at work-related events coordinated by or through the employer, between employees, or between an employer and an employee, whether on or off the employment premises. Nondisclosure and non-disparagement provisions in agreements between employers and current, former, prospective employees, and independ...

Hi, Welcome to my blog.  I have been thinking alot lately about the younger generations of workers entering the work force. These workers are way ahead of the law in their expectations about the employee employer relationship. They don't just want work life balance they expect it. They don't just want respect as a human being in the workplace, they demand it. On the other hand, I recently spoke with an HR professional for a large area employer. Her take was "we pay you to put stuff in boxes, and if that causes you anxiety or if its too hot in the wharehouse (when no one else in complaining) that's a "you" problem." You can see that the gap and resulting tension is clear.  Washington State has begun enacting laws that protect all employees and I think that is definetely the right direction to be going. Today I recevied this email from the Seattle Office of Labor Standards outlining the work being done around one such law - The Secure Scheduling law enacte...

          I just had the pleasure of meeting with the Workplace Bullying Project's founder Lauri Lilli. What a breathe of fresh air for this lawyer. I am so weary of having to tell people I can not help them if they are still employed - because the employer has not taken that final "adverse employment action" or because though they are being horrifically bullied it is not illegal discrimination under the law.  There are no employment police you can call to show up at your workplace and make your boss, manager, supervisory or co-worker stop targeting, undermining, or backstabbing you. The law provides you the right to fight for damages only after unlawful (discriminatory) workplace actions have risen to a certain level of severity or pervasivenes. The case law defines a hostile work environment as harassment that changes the conditions of your job. It must be either severe or pervasive. In almost all cases it must also by based on some discriminatory an...

 The story of this pod cast: Battle Tactics for Your Sexist Workplace is a lesson in how far we (in this case “progressive” public radio still have to go to achieve anything close to equity in  the workplace