Employment

SC&B Employment lawyers are skilled in dual disciplines: litigation and business planning

Short Cressman & Burgess' Employment Law Practice Group is comprised of lawyers skilled in litigation and business planning. This unique combination allows us to provide the best possible legal advice and representation to our clients.

Members of the Employment Law Practice Group represent employees and employers engaged in a wide variety of businesses and industry.

The group is well versed in all areas of employment law, arbitration, mediation and litigation. We advise public and private businesses, as well as individuals, on a variety of personnel issues, including policies (and policy manuals), hiring, employment contracts, discrimination and discharge. We also help clients comply with state and federal regulations, including workers' compensation, wage and hour laws, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, OSHA/WISHA, and immigration. Our lawyers have defended and prosecuted suits involving sex, pregnancy, age, race and handicap discrimination, sexual harassment, defamation, retaliatory discharge, breach of contract, wage and hour violations, and violation of the Washington Unfair Business Practice Act.

Our approach is on preventative law and helping you avoid litigation. If a dispute arises, our experienced team of litigators will aggressively focus on the critical points of your case and act quickly to resolve it as cost-efficiently as possible. Our litigators are skilled negotiators who regularly participate in arbitration and mediation.

• Drafting non-competition, confidentiality, and non-disclosure agreements (for both individuals and employers)
• Preparation of policy manuals and employee handbooks
• Severance Agreements
• Advising employers on all employment issues related to business:
  • wage and hour
  • disability/reasonable accommodation issues
  • Family and Medical Leave Act requirements
  • Unemployment
  • COBRA, and related and benefits issues
  • hostile work environment claims
  • interpretation of collective bargaining agreements
  • progressive discipline issues
  • pre-employment screening and hiring issues
  • drug testing 
  • privacy issues
• Investigation of hostile work environment claims
• Training on EEO laws, wage and hour, personnel manuals, harassment
• Mediations

Employment Litigation

• Wrongful termination
  • Discrimination (age, race, national origin, disability, gender, sexual orientation)
  • Breach of contract
• Wage and hour
  • Unpaid minimum wage and overtime
  • Commissions and bonuses
  • Willful withholding
• Retaliation for protected conduct
• Employment tort claims
  • negligent hiring, retention, and supervision
  • outrage
  • defamation
  • invasion of privacy
• Trade secrets, covenants not to compete, confidentiality, non-disclosure
• EEOC and HRC proceedings
• Unemployment compensation appeals  
• Civil Service Commission Appeals

Labor

• Negotiation of collective bargaining agreements  
• (NLRB and PERC) proceedings
• Employment agreements
• Labor negotiations
• Employment audits
• Intellectual property, protection of trade secrets
• State and federal regulation compliance