Seattle Gender Discrimination Lawyer

Gender discrimination at work is illegal under both Washington law and federal law. If you have been passed over for a promotion, paid less than male colleagues, pushed out after you became pregnant or gave birth, or harassed because of your gender identity, we are ready to help.

Our experienced gender discrimination attorneys represent employees across King County, Pierce County, Snohomish County, and throughout Washington State. We handle claims under the Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD), RCW 49.60, and under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Call Seattle Litigation Group at (206) 407-3300 for a free, confidential case review.

We accept gender discrimination cases on a contingency fee basis (meaning that there is no fee for our legal services unless you obtain compensation through a settlement or jury verdict) or a paid hourly basis.

What Is Gender Discrimination in the Workplace?

Gender discrimination occurs when an employer treats a worker less favorably because of their sex, gender, gender identity, or gender expression. Under RCW 49.60.180, employers with eight or more employees may not discriminate in hiring, firing, compensation, job assignments, or promotions based on sex or gender. Federal law under Title VII applies to employers with 15 or more employees.

Discrimination can be direct, such as a manager who refuses to promote women. It can also be subtle, such as a pattern of excluding women from client meetings or high-visibility projects. Either way, if gender played a role in an adverse employment decision or workplace conduct, you may have a claim.

What Laws Protect Washington Workers from Gender Discrimination?

The Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD), RCW 49.60, is the state’s primary anti-discrimination statute. It covers sex, gender identity, and gender expression. Washington’s WLAD applies to smaller employers and offers broader remedies than federal law.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the federal counterpart. In Bostock v. Clayton County, the U.S. Supreme Court confirmed that Title VII’s prohibition on sex discrimination includes discrimination based on sexual orientation and transgender status.

Washington’s Equal Pay and Opportunities Act (RCW 49.58) prohibits pay disparities based on gender or membership in any protected class, following a 2024 amendment effective July 1, 2025, that bans pay secrecy policies and requires employers with 15 or more employees to include salary ranges in job postings.

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) and Washington’s WLAD both prohibit adverse action based on pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. Employers must also provide reasonable accommodations for pregnancy-related limitations.

What Are the Most Common Forms of Gender Discrimination?

As Seattle gender discrimination attorneys with decades of experience, we regularly see the same forms of gender discrimination occurring in the workplace, including:

• Unequal pay: receiving lower wages, smaller bonuses, or fewer benefits than a male coworker performing the same or substantially similar work.
• Failure to hire or promote: being passed over in favor of a less qualified male candidate, or being steered away from leadership roles based on gender.
• Wrongful termination or demotion: being fired, demoted, or pushed out after announcing a pregnancy, requesting leave, or asserting your workplace rights.
• Hostile work environment: being subjected to repeated gender-based comments, stereotypes, or conduct severe or pervasive enough to alter the terms of your employment.
• Gender identity discrimination: being harassed or terminated because you are transgender, non-binary, or do not conform to your employer’s expectations about gender expression.

What Does Washington’s Equal Pay Law Require?

Under RCW 49.58, employers may not pay workers differently for similar work based on gender or membership in another protected class unless the difference is explained entirely by seniority, merit, production, or another bona fide factor. Employers also cannot enforce pay secrecy policies that prohibit employees from discussing their wages.

If you discover that a male coworker earns significantly more than you for comparable work, that information can form the basis of an equal pay claim. As experienced Seattle gender discrimination attorneys, we can help you document the disparity and present your case to the EEOC, the Washington State Human Rights Commission (WSHRC), or in state court.

What Is Pregnancy Discrimination?

Employers cannot fire, demote, or otherwise punish an employee because of pregnancy, recent childbirth, or a related medical condition. Washington also requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnancy-related limitations, including modified duties or temporary transfers.

Washington’s Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program provides up to 12 weeks of paid family leave for the birth or placement of a child, within a combined family and medical leave cap of 16 weeks, extendable to 18 weeks where a pregnancy-related health condition results in incapacity. Retaliating against an employee for taking PFML can give rise to both a discrimination claim and a retaliation claim.

What If My Employer Retaliates Against Me for Reporting Discrimination?

Retaliation is independently illegal. Under RCW 49.60.210 and Title VII, an employer cannot fire, demote, reduce your pay, or otherwise punish you for reporting gender discrimination, filing a complaint, or participating in an investigation or lawsuit.

Retaliation claims are common and powerful. If you received a positive performance review and were terminated shortly after filing a complaint, that sequence is evidence. Document everything, including:

• emails,
• texts,
• performance reviews,
• written warnings, and
• schedule changes.

Then call our office to schedule a free case review by our tenacious gender discrimination attorneys before the situation escalates.

What Damages Can I Recover for Gender Discrimination in Washington?

Washington employees who prevail on a gender discrimination claim under the WLAD may recover back pay, front pay, and compensatory damages for emotional distress and related harm. The WLAD does not authorize punitive or exemplary damages. Federal Title VII claims do allow punitive damages, subject to statutory caps based on employer size.

Successful plaintiffs under the WLAD are entitled to recover attorney’s fees from the employer. Our firm handles these cases on a contingency fee or paid hourly fee basis..

How Long Do I Have to File a Gender Discrimination Claim?

In Washington, you generally have three years from the date of the discriminatory act to file a lawsuit under the WLAD. If you plan to file a federal Title VII claim, you must first file an administrative charge with the EEOC within 300 days of the act.

Do not wait. Evidence fades and witness memories fade. Call our gender discrimination lawyers as soon as possible to protect your rights.

Should I Resign If I Am Being Paid or Promoted Unfairly Because of My Gender?

Please talk to us first. Gender discrimination cases are often won or lost on information that sits inside your employer’s own systems: what your male counterparts were paid for comparable work, who was considered for the promotion you did not get, what the hiring manager wrote in the notes, and how the compensation bands were actually applied rather than how the handbook says they are.

Resigning also changes what you have to prove. An employee who is fired has been the subject of a decision the employer now has to justify. An employee who walks away has to satisfy Washington’s constructive discharge standard, which asks whether the employer deliberately made conditions so intolerable that a reasonable person would have felt compelled to leave. That is a real hurdle, and it is an avoidable one. If you are weighing whether to stay, call our gender discrimination lawyers at (206) 407-3300 first for a free case review.

Our Representation

We represent employees, not employers. As gender discrimination attorneys with decades of legal practice, we know how these cases are investigated, how Washington courts and the WSHRC evaluate the evidence, and how to build the strongest possible claim. We serve clients in Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma, Renton, Kirkland, Redmond, Everett, and throughout King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties, and throughout Washington.

If your employer treated you differently because of your gender, we want to hear about it. Call (206) 407-3300 or contact us online to schedule your free, confidential case evaluation with a Seattle gender discrimination attorney.