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Author: Kirsten Daniels

Ninth Circuit Validates USDOL Tip Pool Rules

February 2016 | Blog |

In a surprising decision, on Tuesday, February 23, 2016, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit validated the 2011 Rule by the United States Department of Labor (DOL) prohibiting tip pooling programs that include “back of the house” employees and other workers who are not customarily and regularly tipped (e.g., cooks, dishwashers).

Noncompete Agreements Becoming Obsolete?

February 2016 | Blog |

The state House of Representatives may soon send noncompete agreements down the way of the dodo bird . . . toward extinction.

It’s an “Economic Reality”: Your Independent Contractors May Actually Be Employees

August 2015 | Blog |

The federal Department of Labor (“DOL”), the agency charged with enforcing the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”), recently published an Administrative Interpretation clarifying the test businesses must apply to determine whether workers are properly classified as independent contractors or if they are, in fact, employees.

I Dream of Shiro, But Will Not Let Him Compete with Me

June 2014 | Blog |

Shiro Kashiba, founder and former executive chef of Shiro’s Sushi Restaurant, filed a declaratory action in King County Superior Court on May 27, 2014, to prevent the restaurant’s current owners from extending a non-compete provision against him.

You Are Not Your Employees’ “Friend”: New Washington Law Restricts Employer Access to Employees’ Social Media Activity

August 2013 | Blog |

Are you curious about what your employees, or applicants for employment, might be saying or doing on Facebook and other social media sites?

Ain’t Misclassifyin’: Independent Contractor Designations Now Subject to Tougher Wage/Hour Analysis

February 2013 | Blog |

Recent changes in Washington law have made it even more difficult for employers to establish that a worker is properly classified as an independent contractor.  If your …

How Much is a Policy Prohibiting Discrimination and Harassment Worth? A Recent Verdict Suggests at Least $350,000

July 2012 | Blog |

A recent verdict from a federal jury in Baltimore, Maryland demonstrates the importance of having a well-drafted, widely disseminated, and consistently enforced policy that prohibits discrimination and harassment in the workplace.

The Nitty Gritty on Seattle’s New Sick & Safe Leave Ordinance

July 2012 | Blog |

On September 12, 2011, the Seattle City Council unanimously approved Ordinance No. 123698, which created a new chapter in the Seattle Municipal Code (“SMC”).