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Hostile work environment

Hostile Work Environment or Outrage?

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Do you believe that you are the victim of a Hostile Work Environment? Maybe the correct legal term is Outrage.

by Chalmers Johnson, employment attorney

The Seattle Times recently reported on a state case involving a claim of “outrage”. A man did not like the fact that his neighbor was giving piano lessons in her home. He filed a complaint to stop her and then sued.  He lost, and paid $30,000 for court costs and her legal fees. In response he parked his big truck outside of her house. He then repeatedly remote-started it, revved the engine and sounded the alarm. This tended to scare off students and interfere with her lessons. The music teacher sued and won. Continue reading →

gender employment discrimination

Pronouns and gender employment discrimination

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by Chalmers Johnson, Employment Attorney

Trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming employees in the workplace

This week, The Seattle Times reported that Merriman-Webster added “they” to the American/English language as a pronoun for a “single person whose gender is nonbinary.” As an employment lawyer, I had to ask myself, “how is this going to affect the workplace?”

My inquiry led me to a chat with my brother, an employee of the City of Portland, Oregon. To him, this issue is an old one. Apparently the City requires its employees to include, a sign-off on their emails, to state a preferred set of pronouns, including they/them, and other employees are required to use that pronoun set when addressing the employee in the third person. 

Trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming employees and the law

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Business partnership split

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partnership splitIs your business partnership showing signs of fraying? Check out “How to break up with your business partner the right way” for cues to how to handle the split. The author, John Boitnott, cites three issues to look for. They include partners failing to carry their weight, fundamental issues that you can’t resolve and discordant work style issues.

The author focuses on the practical and psychological but also advises consulting a lawyer. Our 3-lawyer team for businesses can help you plan and negotiate your split, including tax, contracts, restructuring and estate planning.

Criminal Defense Attorney featured Yukon Do It! Runner

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Check out this spotlight on Michele Taylor, GSJones criminal defense attorney. Join her in signing up for the July 7th  Yukon Do It! Marathon. Interviewer Ginger Johnson, runs the marathon organization, Run Amok Racing, Inc. and is on our staff.

RUNNER SPOTLIGHT

Michele Taylor! Can I tell you how inspiring this lady is to me? She has taken her life and told it who’s boss! You need someone to tell you to stop complaining and get off your butt and do the work? This is your woman.

When did you begin running and why?

I started running in College…mostly for the health and stress relief benefits and then when I moved to NOLA it was a great way to get to know the city. Running the Neutral Ground or the levee in New Orleans was a favorite of mine.

At what age did you run your first half or full marathon?

37 – it was the Rock and Roll ½ Marathon in 2009.

What is the toughest run or race you’ve participated in?

I wish I could remember the name of it…it was on Vashon Island, a 5K, but it was super hilly and the weather was awful…we had snow in April that race day! I will say my pace was awesome because the faster I went the warmer I stayed.

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Proud co-sponsor of the Yukon Do It! Marathons

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Many in our Kitsap law firm participate in Port Orchard’s only marathon. We invite you to join us for the July 7th half and full Yukon Do It! marathons.

Run Amok Racing, Inc. organizes the marathons, led by Ginger Johnson, GSJones legal assistant for personal injury and employment litigation.

Run Amok Racing donates a portion of all runner’s entry’s fees to Kitsap Humane Society this summer. The donation will help Kitsap Humane Society care for the more than 6,500 homeless and abandoned animals they take in annually.

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You may need an estate planning lawyer if…

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An estate planning lawyer is not just for the wealthy and elderly. You may need an estate planning lawyer if…..

You become a parent.

Parents want to make arrangements for the best life possible for their children if they die. Who do you want to care for your children? How can you guard against family struggles around custody that will further add to your child’s trauma? What financial arrangements will be best? Even if you have made the arrangements for existing children, return to your lawyer. The addition of another child calls for rethinking and talking with existing guardians.

You marry or plan to marry.

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Business structure

The business structure right for you

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Choosing the business structure that is right for you is not simply a matter of knowing the law. It is also a matter of knowing yourself. A good tax and business attorney can help you determine the best business structure based on taxation and liability. They must, however, know a lot about you and your vision for your business. Before you set up a consultation here are some questions to ask yourself.

  1. What is my vision for my business? Do I want to conquer the world or be a great local business? How about outside funding so that I can grow quickly? Or am I content with slow steady growth using my own funds and reinvesting profits?
  2. How much administration am I comfortable with? Do I need to plan for co-owners, or hiring several employees quickly? Finally, how much paperwork can I tolerate?
  3. Crucially, how comfortable am I with risking my personal assets? Some business structures leave your personal assets open to lawsuits against the business or open to process to satisfy business debts.

Let our business law team help you choose the business structure for you

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Divorce doesn't mean failure

Divorce doesn’t mean failure

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Divorce doesn’t mean failure. In fact, divorce may be the mark of a successful marriage concludes Shana Lebowitz in a story titled, “Divorce isn’t a failure, therapists say. In fact, it could mean the marriage was a success.” For the article, she interviewed several marriage therapists. Here are some quotes to consider.

“Your marriage has one goal,” Hal Runkel said. “Marriage has evolved into a people-growing machine.”

Runkel says that it highlights the areas where you need to grow and change. As Laura Markham puts it, disagreements are opportunities to “grow yourself.”

According to therapist Rachel Zamore satisfaction in relationships depend on our attitudes toward change. We need to embrace our experiences as opportunities for growth. Too often we rate experiences based solely on whether it makes us happy or not.

And sometimes you change to the point that you see your marriage differently and understand that it is time to leave. Even if you did not initiate the divorce, you will have a much better experience during and after divorce if you look at it with a learning and growing lens.

Your attitude to your marriage breakup will help you make sounder decisions

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community service

Legal community honors GSJones Law Group

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Recently the Kitsap County Bar Association awarded GSJones Law Group with the Humanitarian Award for community service. The award recognizes more than 400 hours of volunteer labor to support our community in 2018.  In introducing the award, Bar Association Trustee Ron Richmond, a former GSJones Law Group attorney, said, “GSJones Law Group is where I learned what law was all about. Where I learned that justice is not justice unless it is accessible. And where I personally watched tonight’s recipients dedicate countless hours to the advancement of better communities, a better legal system, and a better tomorrow through volunteerism.”

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