What An Employment Lawyer Can Do For You

An employment lawyer offers a wide range of services to protect your rights in the workplace. If you have any issues or disputes, a lawyer can assist you in the following ways:

Discrimination

An employer may not discriminate against you with regards to your age, gender, race, religion, disabilities or familial ties. You could be the victim of discrimination if an employer:

• Employs a candidate who is less qualified than you for discriminatory reasons.
• Overlooks you for a promotion.
• Does not offer you the same salary and benefits as other employees who are fulfilling the same tasks in the workplace.
• Dismisses you for reasons of discrimination.

In these cases, an employment lawyer can provide you with means to protect your employment or can assist you in claiming compensation for the discriminatory act. The employer will also be open to additional penalties should they be found guilty of discriminatory acts in the workplace.

Workers' Compensation

Your employer needs to provide you with compensation for any injury that occurs in the workplace related to medical expenses, loss of income or any other costs related to the injury. Employers normally have insurance to cover worker's compensation claims which means that most of these types of claims are resolved and settled by lawyers for the insurance provider.

In the event that there is any dispute regarding the claim, your employment lawyer has the expertise and knowledge to fight large corporations and law firms to ensure that you are provided adequate compensation. Disputes could arise from non-payment of the claim or where the claim is only settled in part, not covering your total expenses.

Unfair Dismissal

In the event that your employer terminates your employment, they need to provide a valid reason for the dismissal and follow a specific legal termination procedure. If they do not do so, you have the right to sue them for unfair dismissal where your employment will need to be re-instated or you will be awarded compensation for an unfair dismissal.

An employment lawyer can help you determine whether you have been unfairly dismissed as well as evaluate the best means of resolution for you. In some cases, it may be more beneficial not to have your employment re-instated but to settle for fair compensation.

Rights In The Workplace

Your employer is obligated to provide you with certain legal rights in the workplace. These can include a safe and secure work environment, regular breaks, ensuring that you are fairly compensated for your work regularly, provide adequate leave, supply you with a payslip, etc.

If you feel that any of your employment rights are being infringed on, you can consult a lawyer to help identify your rights and determine the ways in which these can be legally remedied. Your lawyer will ensure that your employment is protected should you decide to legally challenge your employer's responsibility to provide these rights. In other words, your employer will not be able to dismiss you for entering a complaint.