Washington Employment Accommodations Attorneys

The Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD) makes it illegal to discriminate against employees on the basis of race, color, religion or creed, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, sex, sexual orientation, marital or parenting status, age, veteran or military status, or disability.  It is also illegal for an employer to retaliate against an employee for asking about employee rights under the WLAD, or for objecting to employer policies or actions that are illegal under the WLAD.  The WLAD applies to most employers with 8 or more employees, with very limited exceptions.

Under the WLAD, an employee is entitled to reasonable workplace accommodations for a disability if the employee has an impairment that substantially limits the employee’s ability to do the job, to apply or be considered for a job, or to access to other equal benefits or conditions of employment; or if the employee notifies the employer of an impairment which, if not accommodated, would worsen or be aggravated with a substantially limiting effect.  A disability can be temporary or long-term / permanent.  Washington law also protects employees from discrimination in employment and in their hiring, pay, promotions, or termination on the basis that the employee has a disability, has a history of a disability, or is believed by the employer to be disabled (whether correctly or not).

Discrimination based on pregnancy is a form of discrimination based on sex and / or parenting status and is also illegal under the WLAD.  Although an uncomplicated pregnancy, by itself, isn’t a “disability” under the WLAD, Washington employees also have rights to pregnancy-related accommodations under the Washington Law on Workplace Pregnancy Accommodations and Washington Healthy Starts Act.  Employees who experience disabling conditions brought on by or resulting from pregnancy may have rights under both disability and pregnancy-related laws.  Schuck Law assists employees with enforcing their rights and pursuing remedies under both these types of laws.

Employees who have been denied a job accommodation, wrongfully fired or denied a promotion, or who suffered retaliation for asking about or requesting disability or pregnancy-related accommodations may have legal claims against the employer for money damages, legal costs and fees, court orders requiring the employer to remedy the unlawful circumstances, and other remedies.

The Washington Healthy Starts Act, amended by the Washington Law on Workplace Pregnancy Accommodations, requires employers to provide accommodations for pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, and to provide work breaks and a private and appropriate space for breast milk expression.  This law applies to employers with 15 or more employees.

Some pregnancy-related accommodations are mandatory in Washington, meaning the employer can’t refuse and can’t require a doctor’s note or other medical information when an employee asks for a mandatory pregnancy accommodation.  Washington employers must accommodate more frequent, longer, or more flexible restroom breaks as needed by an employee due to pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions; modifications to no-food or no-drink policies in the workplace or at the work station; seating that allows the employee to sit down more frequently while at work; and restrictions on lifting over 17 pounds.  In most cases, employers must also provide reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for two years after the birth of the employee’s child along with a private location other than a bathroom if such a space exists or can be modified to exist at the worksite, and employers can’t require an employee to submit a doctor’s note or other medical information when requesting an accommodation to express breast milk.  Washington law also requires employers to provide additional reasonable accommodations to employees for reasons related to pregnancy in addition to these mandatory accommodations and accommodations for breast milk expression.

Under Washington law, employers can’t discriminate or retaliate against employees due to the need to provide an accommodation or because the employee requests an accommodation.  Employers also can’t impose a job condition on a pregnant employee as an “accommodation” if the accommodation is unnecessary for the employee, and can’t force employees to take a leave of absence because of the employee’s pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions unless the employee requests or consents to the leave.  Pregnant employees who do want to take time off are often entitled to time off under other laws that provide employees with job-protected leave time from work, so employers also can’t deny pregnant workers a right to time off that they are entitled to use.  Schuck Law assists employees with enforcing their rights under both these types of laws.

Employees who have been denied a job accommodation, wrongfully fired or demoted or denied a promotion, forced to take an unwanted leave of absence, or suffered retaliation for asking about or requesting Washington pregnancy accommodations may have legal claims against their employers for money damages, legal costs and fees, court orders requiring the employer to remedy the unlawful circumstances, and other remedies.  Speak with an experienced Washington pregnancy discrimination attorney at Schuck Law for clear, confident legal guidance.

Washington law provides for reasonable personal safety leave and workplace accommodations for employees who have suffered domestic or sexual violence.  Beginning in 2026, these protections will extend to apply to victims of hate crimes as defined by Washington law as well.

Under Washington law, reasonable safety accommodations may include, but are not limited to, a job transfer, reassignment, modified schedule, changed work telephone number or email, changed work station, installed lock, implemented safety procedures, or other adjustments to a job structure, workplace facility, or work requirement.  Employers must provide reasonable safety accommodations.  Generally, an accommodation is “reasonable” if it is feasible for the employer to make the change when considering the cost and the size and resources of the employer, and the change would effectively address the employee’s safety.

Employers can request documentation of the need for a safety accommodation such as a police report, court document, or documentation from a medical or legal services provider.  However, in Washington, employers may only require enough information to establish that the request is for a safety accommodation due to domestic or sexual violence, hate crimes, or criminal stalking.  Employees are not required to give an employer any information that would compromise the employee’s safety.

Washington law also requires employers to provide reasonable “Safe Leave” to employees who have been victims of domestic or sexual violence or hate crimes.  Schuck Law assists employees with enforcing their rights under both these types of laws.

It is illegal in Washington to discriminate or retaliate against an employee because the employee is a victim of domestic or sexual violence, bias crimes, or criminal harassment / stalking, or because the employee requested a safety accommodation due to domestic or sexual violence, hate crimes, or stalking as defined by Washington law.

Employees who have been denied a job accommodation, wrongfully fired or demoted or denied a promotion, or suffered retaliation for asking about or requesting Washington safety accommodations may have legal claims against their employers for money damages, legal costs and fees, court orders requiring the employer to remedy the unlawful circumstances, and other remedies.