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If you are facing discrimination in the workplace, having an experienced employment law team on your side can make all the difference. At the James Hawkins Firm, we represent Washington employees who have been treated unfairly because of a protected characteristic and work to protect their rights and pursue the justice they deserve.
For more than 25 years, our attorneys have focused exclusively on employment law. Rather than dividing our practice among multiple areas of law, we focus on employment-related matters. This focused experience helps us stay current on developments in Washington and federal employment laws, as well as case law that may affect your claim. Our knowledge and experience allow us to navigate the complexities of workplace discrimination cases and pursue the compensation and accountability you may be entitled to.
Workplace discrimination can take many forms and occur at virtually any stage of employment. It may affect hiring, promotions, pay, benefits, scheduling, vacation, discipline, termination, or other terms and conditions of employment. If you believe you have been treated differently or unfairly because of your race, sex, age, disability, religion, national origin, or another legally protected characteristic, contact the James Hawkins Firm to discuss your situation, understand your rights, and learn how our experienced employment lawyers may be able to help.
Washington employees are protected by some of the strongest anti-discrimination laws in the country. The Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD), codified at RCW 49.60, makes it unlawful for employers to discriminate against employees or job applicants based on protected characteristics, including:
The WLAD applies broadly to hiring, firing, promotions, pay, job assignments, discipline, and the overall terms and conditions of employment. Washington law often provides broader protection than federal law, and the WLAD allows employees to recover actual damages, plus reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs, when they prevail. In many cases, Washington workers can also pursue claims under federal laws such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), and our firm will identify every available avenue of relief.
Washington employers also have specific obligations under state law, including a duty to engage in a good-faith interactive process and provide reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities, absent undue hardship. When employers fail to meet these obligations, they can be held legally accountable.
Workplace discrimination is not always obvious. In some cases, it may involve direct or clearly unequal treatment; in others, it may appear through a pattern of decisions, comments, or workplace practices that unfairly affect an employee because of a protected characteristic. Recognizing the signs can help you understand when workplace treatment may cross the line into unlawful discrimination. Some common signs of workplace discrimination we see in Washington workplaces include:
Being denied a promotion, raise, desirable assignment, or other employment opportunity because of a protected characteristic.
Receiving different treatment, discipline, or workplace rules than similarly situated coworkers.
Being subjected to offensive, discriminatory, or demeaning comments about your race, sex, gender, age, disability, religion, national origin, or another protected characteristic.
Being excluded from meetings, opportunities, training, or other aspects of the workplace without a legitimate explanation.
Experiencing sudden or unexplained changes in your job duties, schedule, compensation, or working conditions after reporting discrimination or asserting your workplace rights.
Being treated unfairly because you are pregnant, have a disability, need a religious accommodation, or have another legally protected need.
Being terminated, demoted, disciplined, or otherwise penalized after complaining about discrimination or participating in an investigation.
Not every unpleasant workplace experience or unfair decision constitutes unlawful discrimination. However, if you notice a pattern of unequal treatment or believe an employment decision was based on a protected characteristic, it is important to take the situation seriously. Keeping records of discriminatory comments, employment decisions, relevant communications, and other incidents can help preserve important evidence. If you believe you may have experienced workplace discrimination, reach out to our team today. We can help you understand your rights and potential legal options in our free consultation.
Discrimination rarely affects only one person. In some cases, an employee experiences discrimination through a specific incident or series of events. In others, the same discriminatory policy or practice may affect an entire group of employees. At the James Hawkins Firm, we handle both individual discrimination claims and class action lawsuits for Washington employees, carefully investigating each situation to determine the strongest path forward.
When an employer discriminates against you personally, whether through wrongful termination, denial of a promotion, harassment, unequal pay, or other unequal treatment, we begin by learning what happened and gathering the evidence needed to understand your claim. This may include reviewing employment records, emails, text messages, performance evaluations, compensation information, company policies, and other relevant documents. We may also identify and speak with coworkers or other witnesses who can provide information about what occurred. By examining the circumstances surrounding the alleged discrimination, we can determine whether your treatment may have violated Washington or federal law and develop a strategy to protect your rights and pursue available damages, including lost wages, emotional distress, and other losses.
When discriminatory policies or practices affect a broader group of employees, we look beyond an individual employee’s experience to determine whether evidence shows a larger pattern or common practice. This may involve investigating company-wide policies, compensation practices, hiring and promotion decisions, disciplinary practices, internal communications, and other employment data. We work to identify whether employees have experienced similar treatment and whether the employer’s practices may have disproportionately or unlawfully affected a protected group. If the evidence supports broader claims, we may pursue a class action or other representative proceeding. This allows similarly situated employees to come together to challenge systemic discrimination, seek financial recovery, and, when appropriate, push for changes to unlawful workplace policies and practices.
Whichever path fits your situation, our goal is the same: to protect your rights and hold employers accountable under Washington and federal law.
For over 25 years, the James Hawkins Firm has focused solely on protecting employees’ rights, never employers’. That experience means we understand the tactics companies use to justify discriminatory conduct, and we know how to build strong cases that counter them. We are dedicated advocates for Washington workers, and we bring the knowledge, resources, and persistence needed to take on employers of any size.
We believe cost should never stand between an employee and justice. That’s why we represent discrimination clients on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay no upfront attorney’s fees to hire us. We only get paid if we win your case or reach a settlement for you. If we don’t win your case, you owe us nothing in attorney’s fees.
If you believe you have experienced discrimination in your workplace in Washington, don’t wait to protect your rights. Don’t be afraid to speak up. You should not have to tolerate discriminatory treatment or be made to feel that it is simply “part of the workplace culture.” Discrimination is not something you should be expected to accept, and when workplace conduct violates the law, you may have legal options.
You also should not be afraid to report discrimination because of concerns about retaliation. Employees may have legal protections when they speak up about unlawful discrimination or participate in an investigation or legal proceeding.
If you believe you have been discriminated against, contact the James Hawkins Firm as soon as possible. During our free consultation, our experienced employment law team can evaluate your situation, explain your rights, and help you determine the best way to move forward. You deserve to work in a workplace where you are treated fairly and with dignity.
Call Us Today (949) 387 – 7200
Yeah they’re great 
Nice people and they found things apart from wrongful termination