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...
Maloney O'Laughlin PLLC fights for employees throughout Washington, from Seattle to Spokane.
Year: 2026
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...
Is workplace bullying based on immigration stereotypes illegal?
Workplace bullying can take many forms. Some workers, for example, face bullying tied to immigration stereotypes. This may include jokes about accents, questions about where someone is really from or threats about their legal status. These actions create a stressful...
Discrimination based on the potential to get pregnant
Pregnancy discrimination is illegal. If a job applicant attends an interview while pregnant and an employer uses that pregnancy as a reason not to hire them, it is a violation of their rights. Similarly, if a current employee becomes pregnant and is terminated, passed...
How job descriptions can block disability accommodations
When you request a disability accommodation, you may expect a conversation about what you need to fulfill your job. Instead, your employer may use your job description as a way to deny it. In Washington, that approach can be misleading. While job descriptions are an...
When can Washington employees request disability accommodations?
State and federal laws protect workers from various forms of discrimination. At the federal level, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) establishes the right for workers to request disability accommodations from their employers. The Washington State Law Against...
Pregnancy and the meetings you stop getting invited to
You share pregnancy news at work. After that moment, meeting invites may decline. The shift often appears subtle. Your job title may stay the same. Your access to meetings may not. You may also notice fewer planning calls or updates. That timing can feel unsettling....