As a Seattle employment attorney, I know firsthand how miserable an employer’s actions and policies can make a worker, and how much that distress at work can impact the worker’s entire life.  We spend a huge amount of our time and energy at our jobs, in fact for many of us, work takes up more time than any other activity.  Depending on our work environment, that can mean a very large amount of satisfaction, enjoyment, stress, or, unfortunately, misery.  The Seattle Times reports on the way one employee at a Starbucks Coffee store in Chowchilla, CA chose to vent some of the stress that his job created for him.  Barista Christopher Cristwell posted a video on YouTube in which he sings about his job.  After being seen on a popular Starbucks blog, the video caught the attention of Starbucks executives, and, after meeting with managers, the decision was made to fire Mr. Cristwell, who appears, based on his comments to the press, to hold no obvious animosity toward the company.

Employment issues comprise a very complicated area of law, particularly in Washington State, in which workers are employed at-will.  At-will employment is itself a complex concept, but its most notable features are probably the fact that either employees or employers may, in many cases, terminate the employment relationship at any time, for any reason or for no reason.  In plain English, employees can quit or be fired at any time.  Of course, there are specific situations in which this is not the case, and extreme circumstances which complicate the issue.  Certainly, there are still behaviors which employers are not free to engage in.  Also, there are situations that can arise between coworkers which employers are obligated to get involved in to prevent unsafe or abusive work environment.

Your place of employment is an extremely important part of your life.  You spend a huge amount of time there, the way you are treated can severely impact (positively or negatively) your emotional health, and it is very important that your workplace be an environment that does not cause problems in the rest of your life.  If you believe that your work place is unsafe or abusive, contact a Seattle employment attorney who can work with you to understand the law as it applies to your case.  Darryl Parker is an experienced, aggressive attorney who will evaluate your situation, and fight for your rights.  For more information, and a FREE CONSULTATION, contact Darryl at Premier Law Group at (206)285-1743.

Tags: Bellevue workplace harassment attorney, Bellevue wrongful termination attorney, Christopher Cristwell fired for Youtube video, Christopher Cristwell fired from starbucks, Seattle employment lawyer, Seattle wrongful termination attorney, Starbucks employee fired for youtube video

View the original article here