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Amazon’s Layoffs and Hiring Practices: Are Older Workers at Risk? In a recent Seattle Times article (Amazon’s war on bloat alienates workers — and pleases Wall Street | The Seattle Times), originally published at bloomberg.com the writers described the CEO’s campaign to “flatten” middle management. Amazon’s aggressive cost-cutting measures may raise concerns not just about job security, but also about the potential impact on older workers. While the  article described these measures as part of its “war on bloat,” the ripple effects on employees, particularly older workers, can raise critical legal questions. Additionally, Amazon previously settled a class action lawsuit which […]

Under state law RCW Ch. 50A RCW qualified employees are allowed to be a paid a portion of their wages for up to 12 weeks in a 12 month period in most cases, if they miss work for the birth of a child, adoption of younger child, caring for themselves or family member with a serious illness or injury, or certain military connected events. To qualify for benefits the employee must work 820 hours or more at one job or combined from multiple jobs in the “qualifying period” which is defined as: the first four of the last five completed […]

In a decision in February 2019 the United States 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in the case of EEOC v. Global Horizons, Inc. held that employers who use separate contractors to recruit H-2A workers can be liable under Title VII as a joint employer for claims related to such issues as housing, meals and transportation, even though such tasks are assigned to the contractor by contract.