Not all employment attorneys are created equal. If you’re thinking about hiring an employment lawyer, find out whether he or she represents employers, employees, or both. An employment lawyer’s main goal is to ensure that employees’ legal rights are safeguarded and that their employers treat them properly.
Employers have legal rights as well. Because the law protects both, many clients prefer to engage with a firm that specializes in their needs. Employees, executives, and entrepreneurs are the focus of Levit LLP’s employment lawyers.
Your employer may ask you to sign a variety of legal agreements as part of your job, depending on your role with the company. These documents may cover a wide range of issues that could have a long-term impact on you, so you should consult with an expert employment lawyer to ensure your rights are protected. Here are seven of the most important reasons why employees should hire an employment lawyer:
1. In Need of Professional Advice
Working with an employment lawyer from the outset ensures that your rights are protected in all of the legal instruments that govern your employment arrangement. If problems emerge later, that lawyer is knowledgeable and ready to help. The COVID-19 outbreak has caused a slew of problems that employees have never faced before.
What if your employer demands staff immunizations to return to work? Is it possible for your company to do fast testing while you’re on the job? What kind of culpability does your employer have in the event of a pandemic, particularly if you work from home? Having a lawyer on your side might help you get the answers you need before you get into legal jeopardy.
2. Harassment and Discrimination
Employees are unfortunately harassed and discriminated against at work, which is a sad fact in today’s society. Discrimination in the workplace refers to when your boss treats you unfairly because of your religion, handicap, race, gender, or age. If prejudice has an impact on your hiring process, promotions, pay, job assignments, or promotions, you may benefit from the services of an employment lawyer. Likewise, if you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted at work, an employment lawyer can help. The legal professional knows how to handle the alleged harasser, the company’s policy, and the human resources manager.
3. Legal Documents and Agreements
Before commencing work or during your job, your employer may ask you to sign a variety of documents. Non-disclosure agreements, employment agreements, contracts, and other legal documents may contain sophisticated legal jargon. You might not fully comprehend what you’re doing and be afraid of losing your job if you don’t sign what’s in front of you right soon. This is not the case because you can always have an employment lawyer analyze the documents with you so that you know exactly what you’re signing.
Your employment documents must be written in a clear and straightforward manner for you to understand. Your rights may be violated if your employer does not allow you to fully comprehend these materials. Before beginning your employment, make sure you fully understand all aspects of any and all agreements you are signing, as well as any changes or new contracts that may be required during your employment.
4. Wrongful Termination
Unless your employment contract specifies otherwise, the law states that your employer must have cause to fire you. Layoffs caused by workload challenges or economic reasons would be exempt from wrongful termination legislation. Otherwise, the law requires that employers follow the rules when terminating employees.
If you believe your termination was conducted illegally, you should contact a local labor attorney right once. Your lawyer would be responsible for reviewing your situation and determining whether your company broke the law and whether your severance or final compensation was handled properly.
5. Negotiations and Violations of Employment Contracts
If you are seeking a position as a high-level executive, it is likely that your company will require you to sign an employment contract. This is an excellent moment to hire labor law professionals to represent your interests during the negotiating process. The greatest method to get everything you can during negotiations is to hire a neutral representative who knows the law.
Both you and your employer are expected to follow the conditions of your employment contract after it is signed. If you believe your employer is breaking the terms of your contract, you should contact an attorney right once to discuss your options. You should contact the same attorney who may have assisted you in negotiating the relevant contract.
6. Issues Concerning Whistleblower Protection
Whistleblower laws are in place to offer would-be whistleblowers specific protections so that they feel secure reporting suspected health or criminal infractions by their business.
If you’re thinking about going to the authorities with information regarding possible infractions by your company, you might want to consult with an attorney first. If you file these complaints and believe your employer is retaliating, you should contact a labor lawyer right away.
7. Lawyers Can Manage Various Issues
Most of the time, mentioning lawyer results in cases being processed quickly. Working with an employment lawyer saves you the time and effort of going through the legal process on your own. In rare cases, your employer may fire you without sufficient grounds based on employment and labor rules. The attorney ensures that the company follows the law when dealing with workplace difficulties.
At work, you may face challenges such as favoritism, physical or sexual harassment, and discrimination, among other things. When dealing with a legal issue at work, employment attorneys rely on facts. When faced with workplace issues, professionals try to reach an acceptable solution for the employees. An employment lawyer can help you avoid losing your job and so avoid a financial disaster.
Conclusion
Choosing the appropriate employment lawyer has always been vital, but it may be much more so during the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary reason for hiring an employment lawyer is to achieve the best potential outcome. Almost always, the outcome is the product of your employment lawyer’s hard work, experience, and reputation.
