    |
       |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ECONOMIC JUSTICE
Law Center Fights Unconstitutional Unemployment Compensation Law That Harms Women
For many years, Washington was at the forefront in ensuring that unemployment compensation laws recognized the different pressures facing women workers. But when the Washington Legislature considered changing the law in 2003 to make it harder for workers to get benefits, we knew that the proposed changes would hurt women workers. Though then-Governor Gary Locke signed the legislation into law, in response to the concerns of the Northwest Women’s Law Center and other organizations, he directed the Employment Security Department to conduct a formal study of the new legislation’s impact.
In 2005 and 2006, the Employment Security Department released its studies of the impact of the changes to the voluntary quit provisions of Washington’s law. Both studies prove that because of the change in the law, women are now denied unemployment compensation more often than male employees.
The Law Center and its allies are challenging Washington’s unemployment law as violating Washington’s Equal Rights Amendment, because women who must leave work because of family and domestic responsibilities have long suffered unequal treatment in unemployment benefits because those family responsibilities still fall most heavily on women workers. For example, we represent Georgia Fariss, on her appeal of the denial of unemployment compensation when she left her job of many years to follow her husband when he was transferred to work in Alaska.
Were you denied unemployment benefits under similar circumstances? Contact us and let us know.
Unemployment Law
Spotlight: Access to Unemployment Benefits