skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, September 19, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

U.S. gender wage gap grows for first time in a decade; Trump has embraced NC's Mark Robinson, calling him 'Martin Luther King on steroids'; Volunteers sought as early voting kicks off in MN; Women's political contributions in congressional races fall short of men's.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rising threats of political violence, a Federal Reserve rate cut, crypto industry campaign contributions and reproductive rights are shaping today's political landscape.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

WA Workers Face Discrimination for Chronic Illnesses

play audio
Play

Monday, January 29, 2007   

Has a recent Washington State Supreme Court decision made it easier for employers to get rid of people with chronic medical conditions? Advocates for people with disabilities say Washington had a perfectly good definition of what constitutes a 'disability,' until the state Supreme Court threw it out last fall in a case, McClarty v. Totem Electric, that involved a worker's carpal tunnel syndrome claims against his employer.

The court replaced the 30-year-old Washington Law Against Discrimination with a federal law -- the Americans With Disabilities Act -- that defines disabilities more narrowly. Advocates for people with disabilities say the federal law just doesn't work in many 'real world' situations, and the change has left people with chronic illnesses without some of the legal protections they used to have in the workplace.

Dylan Malone, chair of the Washington Network for Civil Justice and Accountability, leads a coalition of groups asking the Legislature to reinstate those safeguards.

"We don't want to return to an era where you can find out that somebody has a terrible illness and, as long as you fire them before they're actually 'sick,' then it's okay, because they aren't disabled yet."

Malone says most people with chronic illnesses, such as Lou Gehrig's disease or being HIV positive, and some types of on-the-job injuries, assume they're protected from workplace discrimination and don't realize that may not be the case -- or that they should speak up about it.

"It sounds like an esoteric thing, 'Oh, who cares how they define 'disability?' But it actually makes all the difference in the world. If you have a chronic condition that could threaten your ability to do your job, you need these protections."

The legislation is SB 5340, sponsored by Senator Adam Kline, and HB 1322, sponsored by Representative John McCoy. It would reinstate wording from the original Washington Law Against Discrimination, effectively overriding the court decision. The House hears the new legislation in about a week. Opponents include some business owners and the state Attorney General's office, who claim the new wording is too vague.



get more stories like this via email

more stories
Recipients of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Grant can now access funding to drive financing for thousands of climate-focused and clean energy initiatives. (bilanol/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Michigan's most vulnerable communities are receiving federal funding to fight the devastating effects of climate change. It's part of the $27 billion …


Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Health Literacy Month, and a Denver-based group is working to help health professionals break a persistent pattern of discrimination …

Environment

play sound

A new report contends fossil fuel funding has biased Columbia University's climate research. The report, by two Columbia students, shows the …


Alabama releases roughly 220,279 men and 78,247 women from its prisons and jails each year. (Chad Robertson/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

An Alabama woman is on a mission to help people who've been incarcerated for decades successfully transition back into society. The mission to …

Health and Wellness

play sound

In North Carolina, the gap between Medicaid reimbursement rates and the actual cost of dental care has reached a crisis point, impacting both …

So far in 2024, community health centers in North Dakota have screened 11,580 patients for food insecurity. Through those screenings, more than three thousand box meals have been distributed. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

September is Hunger Action Month. In North Dakota, it isn't just food banks trying to help underserved populations get nutritious items. Health …

Environment

play sound

Marine biologists conducting deep dives near five California islands are collecting data they hope will strengthen the case for ending gillnet fishing…

Environment

play sound

Researchers at Iowa State University are taking aim at the huge amount of energy used by data centers, now and in the future. They have developed a …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021