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For more than 25 years, the James Hawkins Firm has stood up for employees whose rights have been violated at work. We represent workers in Kent and throughout Washington who have been denied wages, discriminated against, retaliated against, misclassified, harassed, or otherwise treated unlawfully at work.
Our mission is simple: stand up for employees, protect workplace rights, and provide experienced, compassionate advocacy to workers who need someone in their corner. Over the years, we have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation for employees, and we do not back down when employers refuse to take responsibility. We bring that experience to every case while taking the time to understand what each worker has experienced and what they need.
If something does not feel right at work, you do not need to know exactly what law was violated, or even know whether you have a case. Bring your questions and concerns to us. We will listen to what happened, investigate the facts, answer your questions, and help you understand your rights and options.
Employment law covers a wide range of workplace problems. Sometimes the issue is straightforward, such as an employer failing to pay overtime. Other times, the problem is more complicated and requires a deeper investigation into what happened, why it happened, and whether other employees were affected. The James Hawkins Firm represents employees in a variety of employment matters, including but not limited to:
You should be paid for the work you perform. Wage violations can take many forms, including unpaid overtime, off-the-clock work, inaccurate time records, unauthorized deductions, unpaid commissions, and other compensation employees have earned but never received.
Sometimes wage theft is obvious. Other times, it happens in small amounts, such as being required to work a few minutes before or after a shift, attending an unpaid meeting, working through a meal break, or having hours left off your timecard. Those missed hours can add up significantly over time, especially when they happen daily or weekly.
If you believe your paycheck does not reflect all the work you performed or all the compensation you earned, we can investigate whether you are owed additional wages.
Washington employers must pay employees at least the applicable minimum wage for the work they perform. But minimum wage violations do not always involve an employer simply paying an hourly rate that is too low. You may be paid through a combination of hourly wages, commissions, tips, piece-rate pay, or other compensation, and problems can arise when your employer fails to account for all of the time you work properly. Unpaid work before or after your shift, missed breaks, inaccurate time records, or other deductions from your pay can also affect whether you are receiving the wages required by law. If you believe you are not being paid properly for all the time you work, we can look at how your employer calculates your pay and whether you may be owed more.
Employees in Washington are generally entitled to meal and rest breaks, but simply having a break scheduled does not mean you actually received the break required by law. You may be expected to work through your meal break because the workplace is busy, take a shorter break than you are supposed to receive, or remain available to your employer. In contrast, you are supposed to be off the clock, or have a meal period automatically deducted from your timecard even though you continued working. These practices can result in employees working time for which they are not properly compensated. If you regularly miss breaks, work through meal periods, or have break time deducted even though you were working, we can investigate what happened and whether you are owed compensation.
Most Washington employees earn paid sick leave, but employees do not always receive the leave they have earned or the ability to use it as required by law. Problems can arise when an employer fails to provide the required paid sick leave, does not properly track your accrued hours, refuses to allow you to use qualifying sick leave, fails to pay you correctly when you use it, or penalizes you for exercising your rights.
You should not have to choose between taking time off when you are sick and protecting your job. If you believe your employer is denying you paid sick leave or treating you differently because you used it, we can investigate.
Being called an independent contractor does not necessarily mean you are legally an independent contractor. Some workers receive a 1099 and are told they are responsible for their own taxes, overtime, and other expenses even though they work much like the company’s employees.
Misclassification can deny employees overtime, minimum wage protections, paid sick leave, and other workplace rights. What matters is not simply what your employer calls you or what you signed, but how your working relationship actually operates.
If you are paid as a contractor but your employer controls your schedule, directs your work, supervises you, or otherwise treats you like an employee, we can investigate whether you were properly classified and whether you may be owed wages or other compensation.
Employees sometimes hesitate to complain about unpaid wages because they fear what their employer might do. You may worry about losing your job, having your hours reduced, being given less desirable assignments, or being treated differently after asking about your pay. Employees have legal protections against certain forms of retaliation for exercising their wage rights. If your employer punished or treated you differently after you raised concerns about your wages, we can investigate whether that conduct may give rise to a claim.
Employment problems do not always fit neatly into one category. Washington employees may have rights involving discrimination, harassment, final paychecks, tips and service charges, wage discussions, equal pay, protected leave, workplace safety, and other employment protections. The important thing is not whether you know which category your situation falls into. Tell us what happened. We will help you figure out what may apply.
Washington employees have several protections designed to ensure employers treat workers fairly and pay them what they are owed. These protections cover much more than just your paycheck.
Washington’s Minimum Wage Act, RCW Chapter 49.46, establishes minimum wage, overtime, paid sick leave, and other labor standards. Washington’s wage laws generally require employers to pay employees for work performed, and eligible employees are generally entitled to overtime for hours worked over 40 in a workweek.
Washington’s Wage Payment Act, RCW Chapter 49.48, and RCW Chapter 49.52, which address unlawful wage deductions, rebates, and withholding, provide additional protections for employees who are not paid what they have earned. In certain wage cases, RCW 49.52.070 allows an employee to seek twice the amount of wages unlawfully withheld, along with other potential relief.
You generally have the right to discuss your wages with other employees under federal law. Washington provides additional protections under the Equal Pay and Opportunities Act, RCW 49.58.040. Washington law prohibits employers from retaliating against employees who inquire about, disclose, compare, or discuss their own wages or the wages of other employees. In other words, you generally do not have to keep your pay a secret simply because your employer tells you to. If you were disciplined, threatened, or treated differently after discussing your wages or raising concerns about pay, it may be worth having an attorney look into what happened.
Washington’s Equal Pay and Opportunities Act, RCW Chapter 49.58, prohibits certain discriminatory compensation differences and protects pay and advancement opportunities. RCW 49.58.020 addresses wage discrimination based on gender or membership in another protected class.
The law also protects employees who discuss or inquire about wages. Under RCW 49.58.040, employers generally cannot retaliate against employees for discussing, comparing, or disclosing wages or exercising certain other rights under the law.
Washington’s Law Against Discrimination, RCW Chapter 49.60, protects employees from certain forms of discrimination based on protected characteristics. RCW 49.60.180 specifically addresses unfair employment practices, including discrimination in hiring, discharge, compensation, and other terms and conditions of employment.
Employees may have legal protection when they exercise rights protected by Washington law or oppose unlawful workplace practices. For example, RCW 49.60.210 prohibits certain retaliation against people who oppose practices forbidden by Washington’s anti-discrimination law or participate in related proceedings.
Remember, you don’t need to know which statute applies to your situation before you contact us. Employment law can involve overlapping state and federal laws, different deadlines, exemptions, and fact-specific requirements. If something happened at work that you believe was unfair or unlawful, tell us what happened. We can investigate the facts, identify the laws that may apply, and help you understand your options.
One of the most important things we want employees in Kent to understand is this: You do not have to know whether you have a legal case before you contact us.
You may know something doesn’t feel right. Maybe your paycheck is smaller than you expected. Maybe you have been working overtime without being paid for it. Maybe your employer suddenly started treating you differently after you complained. Maybe you believe you were fired because of discrimination. Maybe you have been called an independent contractor even though you work just like everyone else at the company.
You may not know what evidence matters. You may not know which law applies. You may not even be sure that what happened to you was illegal. You do not need to have those answers. That is what our free consultation is for. We can listen to what happened, ask questions, review the information you have, and determine whether any issues deserve further investigation. If there is a potential claim, we can explain what that may mean and what options may be available. And if we determine that we do not have a case, we can tell you that too.
When you come to the James Hawkins Firm, we do not simply take your employer’s version of events at face value. We investigate. We look at what actually happened and seek to understand the circumstances surrounding your employment. Depending on your situation, that may mean reviewing pay records, timecards, employment agreements, emails, text messages, company policies, personnel records, performance reviews, schedules, and other evidence. We may speak with you about what happened, when it happened, who was involved, what your employer said or did, and whether other employees experienced similar treatment.
If the evidence supports a claim, we build the case. That may involve calculating unpaid wages or other damages, gathering evidence, identifying witnesses, negotiating with the employer, or pursuing a formal legal claim. And when an employer refuses to take responsibility, we are willing to take the fight to court. You should not have to face a large company, its lawyers, and its resources by yourself.
The James Hawkins Firm was built around a simple belief: employees deserve to be treated fairly, and employers should be held accountable when they violate workers’ rights. For more than 25 years, we have stood up for employees against employers and large companies. During that time, we have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation for workers.
But our mission is about more than a number. It is about the employee who worked hundreds of hours of overtime and was told those hours did not count. It is about the worker who was called an independent contractor even though the company controlled every part of the job. It is about the employee who spoke up about discrimination and was punished for doing so. It is about the person who knows something is wrong at work but is afraid to challenge an employer with significantly more power and resources.
That is where we come in. We are committed to standing up for employees, protecting workplace rights, and delivering experienced, compassionate advocacy to people who need someone in their corner. We understand that taking legal action against your employer can be intimidating. We also understand that your situation is personal. You are not just a case file.
We listen. We investigate. We build the case. And when necessary, we fight.
You do not have to confront your employer before talking to an attorney. You do not need a stack of documents. You do not need to know the name of the law your employer may have violated. You also do not need to be certain you have a case.
If something about your employment does not seem right, contact the James Hawkins Firm. We offer free consultations and handle qualifying employment cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning you do not have to pay an upfront attorney’s fee to have your situation evaluated.
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