There are many who know nothing about employment law in Washington who find themselves scrambling for information when an incident occurs. These people believe they should not worry about anything while things are going well? Knowing about employment law in Washington will help make sure that you are prepared if you do find yourself in an uncomfortable, and illegal, situation with your employer.
Washington employers are not allowed to ask potential employees about personal details that have nothing to do with their job. Even if the questions they ask seem like casual conversation be concerned! Their behavior might be a clue that their business is used to operating illegally and comfortable with violating Washington employment laws.
When you are aware of employment law in Washington you will be able to recognize any inappropriate practices as soon as they occur. During your initial interview and training always look out for inappropriate questions or comments. Listen for a supervisor complaining about an employee's pregnancy or discussing the religion of another person. During your interview be concerned if the employer asks you about your age, your parents, or your spouse. These comments and questions have no place in the work force.
It is not uncommon for companies to let employees go for various reasons. Sometimes these terminations occur for reasons that little or nothing to do with the employee themselves. If an employee at fault for violating a company policy most companies will be only too willing to let the employee know what the problem is. Many reasonable employers will even talk to an employee one on one before the actual termination to help avoid misunderstandings and hard feelings.
If you are being let go for absolutely no reason that you can think of then you might be the victim of a wrongful termination. Washington employment law does not approve of terminations based on personal reasons. These reasons can include disapproval over sexual orientation or disapproval of a pregnancy and the possibility it might affect the company. An employer can also not let an employee go in retaliation for anything that does not violate company policy including refusing to participate in a crime.
The same reasons for wrongful termination can also be applied to wrongful termination practices. While employment law in Washington does allow employers to hire individuals that might be less qualified than other applicants, it does not approve of unfair promotional practices. Individuals that are passed over for promotion based on their sex, marital status, or other outside factors should complain immediately. Companies should only consider work performance when seeking to promote an individual.