Meal and Rest Breaks for Public Employees

February 28, 2013  by  Sofia D'Almeida Mabee
Category:  Compensation ,  Guest Author

There continues to be much confusion regarding meal and rest period obligations for public sector employees. Public employers in Washington State are required to provide meal and rest breaks for non-exempt employees (i.e., overtime-eligible employees.) However, unlike the situation for private employers, public employers can also have agreements with unions...

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Elected Officials Can be Subject to Recall for Violating Employment Laws

March 1, 2012  by  Sofia D'Almeida Mabee
Category:  HR Advisor

Elected officials can be subject to recall by the voters in certain situations. The court case In re Recall of Washam (2011) applied these principles to an elected official accused of violating county ordinances prohibiting certain employment practices, including retaliation against whistleblowers.

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PERC's New Decision on Weingarten Rights

March 1, 2012  by  Sofia D'Almeida Mabee
Category:  HR Advisor

The 2010 Public Employment Relations Commission Omak School District decision reviews what Weingarten rights employees have in Washington and redefined the contours of those rights.

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Social Media in Hiring: Minimizing Legal Risks

March 1, 2012  by  Sofia D'Almeida Mabee
Category:  HR Advisor

While employers may be tempted to take advantage of social media information to evaluate job candidates, they should understand and take steps to minimize the associated risks.

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