Employment Lawyers In Kirkland, WA
Clear guidance when your career is on the line
Workplace Violations?
When Work in Kirkland Turns Into a Legal Problem
A paycheck that shrinks, a schedule that changes after you complain, a manager who stops returning messages. Employees looking for employment lawyers in Kirkland, WA are usually dealing with a legal problem and a livelihood problem at the same time. We represent workers in claims involving unpaid wages, back pay, discrimination, retaliation, and wrongful termination under the Washington Law Against Discrimination, the state Minimum Wage Act, and federal law.
If you are not sure how much time you have to act, ask early. Some claims run on short clocks, especially once the issue is already affecting your pay, your title, or your ability to stay in the job.
Hear From Workers We’ve Helped
”They helped me understand my legal rights, handled communication with the employer responsively and effectively, and helped bring the process to a fair conclusion. There is no way I could have handled this on my own.”
Former Client,
Wrongful Termination,
Software Developer, Bay Area, CA
“Greg Wolk and Hardeep Rekhi have been representing me since 2011. They are men of integrity. They are very honest, and excellent attorneys. They know my case inside out, and keep me informed of progress. I recommend them to anyone who is looking for attorneys that care about their clients, and care about justice to their clients.”
Current Client,
Engineer, Greater Seattle Area
”They helped me understand my legal rights, handled communication with the employer responsively and effectively, and helped bring the process to a fair conclusion. There is no way I could have handled this on my own.”
Former Client,
Wrongful Termination,
Software Developer, Bay Area, CA
“Greg Wolk and Hardeep Rekhi have been representing me since 2011. They are men of integrity. They are very honest, and excellent attorneys. They know my case inside out, and keep me informed of progress. I recommend them to anyone who is looking for attorneys that care about their clients, and care about justice to their clients.”
Current Client,
Engineer, Greater Seattle Area
What Rekhi & Wolk Can Do For You
Who signs your paycheck does not change your rights. We take cases against small employers and household-name corporations, from the tech and finance offices around Kirkland Urban and Carillon Point to healthcare and service work near Totem Lake, and for the many people who live here but work elsewhere on the Eastside, including employees in Redmond.
Unpaid Wages/Back Pay
Kirkland has no citywide wage ordinance like Seattle or Renton, so state and federal law set your floor. We handle unpaid wage and back pay claims involving off-the-clock work, missed breaks, misclassification, unpaid overtime, and withheld commissions.
Workplace Discrimination
Unequal treatment tied to race, gender, age, disability, pregnancy, religion, national origin, or sexual orientation shows up in pay, promotions, discipline, and who gets managed out during a reorganization. Our workplace discrimination attorneys litigate under the Washington Law Against Discrimination, Title VII, the ADA, and the ADEA.
Workplace Retaliation
Lost hours, sudden performance criticism, a demotion, or a firing that lands shortly after you raised a concern. We have handled retaliation and whistleblower cases that produced landmark Washington decisions, and these deadlines are often the shortest ones on the board.
Wrongful Termination
Washington is an at-will state, but at-will has limits. A firing can still be unlawful if it follows a protected complaint, a leave request, or a refusal to break the law, so we look at the sequence of events rather than the reason written on the separation notice.
How Your Case Actually Moves Forward
Employment cases fall apart when they are handled slowly or in the wrong forum. Here is how we work one.
- Free case review.
We ask for the specifics up front: your employer, your job location, your start and end dates, your pay rate, whether a union contract covers you, and what happened. Those details usually tell us within one conversation which laws are in play. - Building the record.
Pay stubs, schedules, emails, reviews, and HR complaints matter more than memory. Washington’s personnel file law gives you the right to request your own file, and we built a free request letter generator so you can send that request correctly. - Choosing the path.
Agency or court, state or federal, individual or class. A discrimination charge with the EEOC generally must be filed within 300 days in Washington, a complaint to the Washington State Human Rights Commission runs on a six-month clock, and most wage claims follow a three-year statute. Picking the wrong route can cost you the claim. - Negotiation, then litigation.
Many matters resolve through negotiation. When an employer refuses to be reasonable, we litigate, including through trial and appeal. - Staying in contact.
We take a limited number of clients at a time on purpose. You should know where your case stands without having to chase anyone for an update.
Why Employees in Kirkland Put Their Trust in Us
We only represent employees. Never employers, never both. Employee-side cases like these are typically handled on contingency, so the fee comes out of a recovery rather than your pocket.
✔ We know where a Kirkland claim belongs.No city labor standards office exists here, so your case runs through King County Superior Court, the Human Rights Commission, L&I, or the EEOC’s Seattle field office. Each keeps a different clock, and the wrong forum can end a valid claim.
✔ We read Eastside pay packages. Equity grants, commission plans, and performance-improvement paperwork quietly become the employer’s evidence file.
✔ We cover the whole corridor, including workers in Bothell and Woodinville, plus public employees at hospital and school districts, where whistleblower deadlines run shorter.
✔ A bench you can verify.Hardeep Rekhi serves as a King County District Court Judge Pro Tem and is a former Super Lawyer. Greg Wolk has been advancing whistleblower law since 2002.
✔ Trial and appellate lawyers. Cases tried in Washington state and federal court, with arguments before the Washington Court of Appeals and the Ninth Circuit.
✔ $10 million+ recovered in unpaid wages, including wage and hour class actions against trucking, hospitality, healthcare, and security employers.
✔ A deliberately small caseload. We take a few clients at a time, so partners with 50+ years of combined experience handle your case directly.
✔ Straight answers, including when we think your claim is not worth filing.
Questions People Often Ask When Work Stops Feeling Fair
Does Kirkland have its own minimum wage or sick leave rules?
No. Unlike Seattle, SeaTac, Tukwila, Renton, and unincorporated King County, Kirkland has no separate citywide wage ordinance. Your minimum wage, overtime, and paid sick leave rights come from Washington State law, which set the 2026 minimum wage at $17.13 per hour.
I live in Kirkland but my employer is based in another state. Whose laws apply?
Usually the law of the state where you actually perform the work, which for most Kirkland residents means Washington. Remote and hybrid arrangements complicate it, especially when you split time between home and an office across the bridge in Bellevue or beyond.
I work for a public employer in Kirkland. Is my case different?
Often yes. Public employees at hospital districts, school districts, and city agencies have whistleblower and due-process protections that private-sector workers do not, along with notice requirements and shorter internal deadlines.
Should I have my severance agreement reviewed before signing?
Yes, and before the deadline the company gave you. Severance packages routinely ask you to release claims you may not know you have, including unpaid wage and discrimination claims worth more than the payout.
Can I be fired for no reason if I am an at-will employee?
For no reason, often yes. For an unlawful reason, no. Retaliation, discrimination, and firings that violate public policy remain illegal in Washington regardless of at-will status.
You Shouldn’t Have to Stay Silent at Work
You do not need a finished legal theory to make the call. You need someone to tell you whether what happened is actionable, what to preserve now, and which deadline is closest. One conversation is usually enough to answer all three.