A roundup of key workplace stories, legal updates, and events shaping workers’ rights. Seattle expands discrimination protections to non-monogamous relationships Seattle has expanded its civil rights laws to protect people in non-monogamous relationships from discrimination. The new ordinance includes consensual relationships involving multiple partners within the city's definition of sexual orientation, extending the protection to employment and other areas covered by Seattl

Work is where we spend much of our lives. It’s where we build careers, relationships, and financial security. But when work goes wrong, the consequences can be devastating. At Stockwell Law Firm, we represent employees navigating some of the most difficult moments in their careers. We see firsthand what happens when people are pushed out after speaking up, discriminated against because of who they are, denied opportunities, or retaliated against for doing the right thing. Tha

A roundup of key workplace stories, legal updates, and events shaping workers’ rights. Women account for all job losses in July According to an analysis from the National Women's Law Center, the overall economy lost 23,000 jobs in July and accounted for all of those losses. Meanwhile, men gained 9,000 jobs. Read more here. Seattle Public Schools teachers vote to authorize strike The Seattle Education Association voted 91.2% in favor of authorizing a strike if a tentative agre

Stockwell Law Firm clients who were sued following a 2023 protest at an Eritrean festival in Tacoma have had the federal lawsuit against them dismissed, ending nearly two years of litigation. The News Tribune covered the dismissal in an August 20 story examining the dispute, the protest and the outcome for the activists Stockwell Law Firm represented. The case arose from a protest at the 49th Annual Eritrean Festival in downtown Tacoma on August 5, 2023. Our clients are membe

Stockwell Law Firm is proud to represent a blind machinist in a disability discrimination lawsuit against Boeing that is drawing local and national media attention. The case was first covered by the Everett Herald and has since been picked up nationally by Newsweek. At the center of the lawsuit is a fundamental question about disability rights at work: whether an employer gave a qualified worker a meaningful opportunity to do his job with reasonable accommodations. An experie

A roundup of key workplace stories, legal updates, and events shaping workers’ rights. Jury finds Nike discriminate against former female employee A federal jury in Portland, consisting of seven men and one woman found that Nike discriminated against a former employee by paying her less than her male peers and promoting her more slowly. The jury awarded her approximately $20k in economic damages and more than $7 million in punitive damages. Read more here. Striking Seattle ho

If you've spent any time on the internet, you've probably met Jimothy the Raccoon. Jimothy is famous for his curious personality and a congenital spinal condition that gives him a uniquely compact body. Which got us thinking... What if Jimothy applied for a job? Let's imagine Jimothy interviews for a position as Senior Dumpster Quality Assurance Specialist. The interview is going well until the hiring manager notices his shortened spine. The manager says, "We're not sure som

Most of us have had a difficult boss, an impossible coworker, or one of those days where work feels stranger than fiction. While the movies on this list take workplace dysfunction to the extreme, they also touch on issues that we see often (believe it or not). 1. 9 to 5: A workplace classic that tackles sexual harassment, sex discrimination, retaliation, and hostile workplace. While we have different take on getting to resolution, we salute the effort made here. 2. Office Sp

A roundup of key workplace stories, legal updates, and events shaping workers’ rights. Judge rules California anti-discrimination laws apply to Workday U.S. District Judge Rita Lin rejected California-based Workday's claim that California's anti-discimination laws do not apply when its AI-powered platform screens out people based outside California who are applying for jobs in other states and countries. According to Reuters, "the proposed class action filed in 2023 is the fi

One of the first questions many clients ask is, "Will my case go to trial?" The short answer is: probably not. While television and movies often portray lawsuits ending in dramatic courtroom trials, the reality is that most employment cases are resolved long before a judge, jury, or arbitrator ever hears the case. Trials are expensive, time-consuming, and unpredictable for both sides. Even strong cases carry risk. For that reason, most parties continue discussing settlement t