Employment Disputes: Know Your Rights & How A Lawyer Can Help
Posted by on Jan 29, 2018 in Blog, Employment Law
Employment disputes need to be handled carefully and properly to minimize risks for both the employer and the employee involved. If you’ve found yourself involved in an employment dispute, an employment lawyer can help educate and navigate you through the situation so as to minimize the amount of lost time, money and damages. Read on as Heritage Law outlines some of your rights as an employee and an employer, and how a lawyer can help in a employee dispute.
Employee Rights
As an employee, there are three main categories that encompass your rights. They are:
The Right To Know. Every employee has the right to know of any hazards that exist in their workplace.
The Right To Participate. All employees have the right to participate in matters relating to health and safety.
The Right To Refuse. Every employee has the right to refuse work if they feel there is added or unusual danger that isn’t normally present. This includes hazards of discrimination or harassment.
Other rights that would fall into these categories include:
- The right to a safe workplace;
- adequate job training;
- proper first aid standards and equipment, and more.
Employer Rights
As an employer, you have the right to expect reasonable performance from your employees. If employees aren’t respecting their responsibilities, you’re able to take certain actions, including:
- Discipline, including written warnings or suspensions
- Job demotion
- Job termination
How Can A Lawyer Help?
When an employee or employer feels their rights are not being met, an employment dispute can arise. This is where a lawyer can be particularly beneficial. Employment law is an rapidly changing field, so it’s nice to have someone on your team who understands the ins and outs of the many laws that govern the workplace.
A lawyer who specializes in employment law can help both employees and employers navigate through employee claims of:
- Discrimination;
- harassment;
- wages/benefits;
- workplace health and safety;
- wrongful termination, and more.
While not every employment matter will require legal advice, there are a number of employment issues and disputes that are particularly challenging and require the help of a professional. If you’re looking to seek the advice of an employment lawyer, give the team at Heritage Law a call today.
