Watson v. Department of Labor & Industries

**What Happened** Watson, a worker, had a dispute with Washington's Department of Labor & Industries about how his workers' compensation benefits were calculated. The Department used the wrong method to figure out his monthly wages, which affected how much he would receive in benefits. Watson worked seasonally but intended to work full-time, and he argued the Department should have used a different calculation formula that would result in higher benefits. **What the Court Decided** The court ruled in Watson's favor. The appeals court agreed with a lower court's decision that the Department must recalculate Watson's workers' compensation benefits using the correct legal formula. The court found strong evidence that Watson truly intended to work full-time, even though his work was seasonal. The court also ordered that Watson should receive payment for his attorney fees. **Why This Matters for Workers** This case shows that workers have the right to challenge government agencies when benefits are calculated incorrectly. It's particularly important for seasonal workers, as it establishes that seasonal work patterns don't automatically disqualify someone from full-time benefit calculations if they intended to work full-time. Workers can fight for proper benefit calculations and may recover attorney fees if they win.