3 Ways Employment Laws Safeguard The Rights Of Employees
Employees are the backbone of every industry. While some companies respect their employees enough to offer fair compensation, many others try to take advantage of them by paying low wages or simply dismissing them after they've had a bad day at work. This is where employment laws come into play. These laws aim to protect both parties, by offering them rights as well as obligations toward each other. Read on to know how employment laws safeguard employee rights.
1. Protection from Being Fired or Demoted for Discriminatory Reasons
Employment laws protect employees from being fired or demoted for discriminatory reasons. They forbid wrongful termination of employment based on race, religion, sex, pregnancy status, national origin, age, disability, or genetic information. Employers are also not allowed to terminate an employee because they filed a worker's compensation claim against them, opposed unlawful discrimination at work, filed a wage complaint with the state labor agency, or participated in criminal proceedings against the employer.
If you're fired or discriminated against for these reasons, you should seek legal advice promptly to find out if your rights have been violated. An employment law attorney will help you decide whether these protections apply in your case and how best to protect yourself if they do.
2. Leave for Family Emergencies
Employers should support their employees. If you're faced with a family emergency, your employer should not hesitate to grant you time off. Some emergencies that guarantee time off from work include when your child, spouse, parent, or immediate relative is injured, sickened, or killed in a natural disaster such as a hurricane or flood. Many states have laws that provide guidance to the kinds of situations that qualify as emergencies and how much leave employees are entitled to take. Therefore, an employer should be familiar with these laws to ensure they are providing you with a leave when that is necessary. If your employer isn't following these rules, you can file a suit against them through an employment lawyer.
3. Equal Pay for Equal Work
It can be discouraging to make less money than your co-workers just because of their gender. To avoid this, employers should ensure that all employees earn equal pay for equal work. Most employment laws advocate for equal pay regardless of sex or race. The law also requires that if a company pays one employee more than another, the reason for doing so must be justified by something other than their sex or race.
Employment laws are very important when it comes to protecting the rights of employees in all kinds of work environments. It works as a balance that allows fairness within workplaces everywhere. If you're being discriminated against at work in any way, contact an employment attorney.
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