| Description | Volume_Issue | Year | Month | PDF |
| The Public Duty Doctrine is an incredibly important doctrine that protects fire districts and other municipal corporations from liability, and today we discuss the doctrine and the many exceptions to it; then we look at some cases of interest from the US Supreme Court involving sexual harassment, freedom of speech, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. | 02-07 | 1998 | 7 | v02n07jul1998.pdf |
| Sexual harassment in the workplace may subject the employer to immense liabilities, and today we consider implications of some very important cases decided by the United States Supreme Court, particularly with respect to “quid pro quo” harassment and hostile work environment claims; also, we analyze a federal court decision that dealt a blow to the compulsory arbitration process, by finding that employers may not compel individuals to waive their right to file their Title VII claims in court; the applicability of FLSA to municipal governments; the statute of limitations on claims for wrongful discharge based on employee handbooks; the validity of last chance agreements in the discharge and discipline process; the legality of psychological exams in the case of extreme misconduct; and we sum it all up by answering a question about rural fire districts and their concerns about mutual aid agreements. | 02-08 | 1998 | 8 | v02n08aug1998.pdf |
| This issue addresses FLSA rules for excluding sleep periods from overtime; whether an employee’s FLSA-exempt status may be destroyed by an employer making improper pay deductions; affirmative defenses an employer may raise to a claim of sexual harassment; and finally, some questions about residency requirements and uses by volunteers of their personal vehicles while conducting their official duties. | 04-02 | 2000 | 2 | v04n02feb2000.pdf |
| We now contemplate whether a claim of generalized abuse by, for example, an obnoxious, abusive supervisor, may be asserted as a sexual harassment claim, absent unlawful unwelcome advances or comments with a sexual component; we also discuss public funds in support of or in opposition to any ballot proposition or candidate; and finally, we address cellular site leases.
| 05-10 | 2005 | 10 | v05n10oct2005.pdf |
| Today we discuss what constitutes “adverse action” under Title VII, in the context of retaliation claims; a new law addressing the response standards for “substantially career” fire departments; RCW 70.160, which relates to smoking indoors, and policies of fire departments that may be required to comply with that law; and general issues with releasing medical records under HIPAA. | 06-01 | 2006 | 1 | v06n01jan2006.pdf |
| Today we address a federal court case that determined that money paid for sick leave buy-back counts in the calculation of regular rate; we also discuss a sex-discrimination case related to two female firefighters (battalion chiefs) being denied adequate protective clothing and adequate bathroom and shower facilities; we then consider adverse employment actions against
an employee who exercises First Amendment rights, and much more.
| 06-05 | 2006 | 5 | v06n05may2006.pdf |
| This issue addresses the definition of "veteran" under the Washington veterans' scoring-criteria statutes; we also discuss an important Washington case related to "vigilance-free" meal periods, and give our readers an update on developments in federal discrimination law. | 16-09 | 2018 | 9 | September2018FINAL.pdf |
| Today we consider an important case involving what travel time is compensable by the employer. | 19-12 | 2021 | 12 | December2021FINAL.pdf |
| This issue discusses some upcoming training opportunities, a major change to RCW 52.14.110 involving public works by regularly employeed personnel, and an important Title VII case. | 22-04 | 2024 | 4 | April2024.pdf |