The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) prohibits treating employees and job applicants unfavorably or favorably because they are from a particular country or part of the world. National origin is also a protected class under Washington Law Against...
Maloney O'Laughlin PLLC fights for employees throughout Washington, from Seattle to Spokane.
Year: 2026
Why clear communication matters in autism accommodation
Workplaces often rely on unspoken rules, shifting expectations and informal feedback. For many employees, those patterns may be manageable, but for others, they can create real barriers. Autistic individuals, in particular, may experience challenges when communication...
Can an employer deny you a promotion because of your age?
If you applied for a promotion and watched it go to a younger coworker, you may be wondering whether age played a role in the decision. Whether a denied promotion qualifies as age discrimination depends on your circumstances. Which laws protect older workers in...
Bathroom access issues may constitute disability discrimination
Disability discrimination can manifest as lost opportunities or a hostile work environment. Other times, companies may discriminate against workers by refusing to accommodate their medical needs. Accommodations should be reasonable and necessary. Some of them are...
An accent shouldn’t affect a worker’s opportunities
Language barriers are steadily becoming less of a workplace issue thanks to modern technology. There are now various software programs that can help translate spoken and written language, as well as photographs of signs or packaging in another language. There are also...
Are pregnant workers in Washington facing hidden discrimination?
Pregnancy discrimination is more common than most people realize. Many women find that once they announce a pregnancy or return from maternity leave, their career quietly starts to stall. It's not because their performance changed, but because of assumptions. Experts...
Identifying 4 common forms of workplace discrimination
Workplace discrimination is a significant problem that can negatively affect an employee’s well-being and performance. If their employer does not take measures that can address the issue, it can worsen and transform their organization into a hostile environment. Here...
Has an employer made seeking reasonable accommodations too hard?
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) generally protects the right to request reasonable accommodations in the workplace. Provided that a worker can perform job functions with certain accommodations, their employers should not consider their need for support when...
Microaggressions and hostile work environments
In some cases, workplace discrimination is fairly obvious. If someone makes disparaging comments about you based on your race or refuses to put you up for a promotion on those grounds, you know you are being discriminated against. But these cases are relatively rare...
Refusing to accommodate a pregnant worker could be discrimination
Pregnant women have major expenses ahead of them. Childbirth and postpartum care often result in substantial medical bills. Additionally, they may require time off work to bond with their newborn child and heal after delivery. Raising a child to adulthood is also very...