Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Law Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Labor and Employment Law

University of Washington School of Law

Washington Law Review

2018

Articles 1 - 3 of 3

Full-Text Articles in Law

The Multiple Justifications Of Occupational Licensing, Nick Robinson Dec 2018

The Multiple Justifications Of Occupational Licensing, Nick Robinson

Washington Law Review

Nearly a quarter of all workers in the United States are currently in a job that requires an occupational license. As the prevalence of occupational licensing has grown, so have claims that its overuse is causing increased consumer costs and impairing labor mobility and economic freedom. To address these concerns, many policymakers and academics argue that licensing restrictions should be more closely tailored to the goal of protecting the public from harm and that, to guard against capture, practitioners should not regulate their own licensing. Federal courts, in turn, have drawn on this vision of the proper role of occupational …


A Stute Observation: Re-Examining Washington's Enforcement Of Workplace Safety Regulations, Ben Moore Oct 2018

A Stute Observation: Re-Examining Washington's Enforcement Of Workplace Safety Regulations, Ben Moore

Washington Law Review

In 1973, the Washington State Legislature enacted the Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act. The stated purpose of the Act was to ensure safe working conditions for the working men and women of Washington. Seventeen years later, the Washington State Supreme Court held that general contractors are per se liable for the WISHA violations of their subcontractors. However, the Washington Department of Labor and Industries has adopted a policy of citing general contractors for subcontractor violations only in limited circumstances. This Comment first outlines the development of worker safety laws in Washington, then examines the effects of the Department’s policy …


Retaliation Backlash, Alex B. Long Jun 2018

Retaliation Backlash, Alex B. Long

Washington Law Review

Until fairly recently, the narrative regarding employment retaliation plaintiffs has been that the federal courts—and the Supreme Court in particular—are generally sympathetic to employees claiming illegal workplace retaliation. This narrative has changed drastically over the past few years, to the point that there has been a backlash among courts to the initial wave of plaintiff success. In this respect, the evolution of retaliation law largely tracks the evolution of disability law. This Article argues that the evolution of these areas of the law illustrates a simple but fundamental point about the interpretation of statutes regulating the workplace at present: unless …