An employment attorney protects you from a large number of circumstances within the workplace. Helping the employer and employee to reach resolution, this type of legal representation protects your rights. While taking the proper first steps on your own, like documenting any and all occurrences, reporting and filing a complaint often requires expertise.
Here, our experts at Hershey Law in California take a look at five of the most common reasons we’re contacted concerning workplace violations.
Harassment
Doubling as a harassment lawyer, our job is to ensure the actions which fall into this category. Harassment is any unwelcomed behavior by an owner, manager, supervisor, coworker, and even a client. These behaviors tend to target a single individual and tend to be offensive in nature. And, while most consider harassment to entail only sexual harassment, the category is much broader. Harassment may come in the form of verbal, visual, and physical attention. Regardless of the deliverance, these behaviors are never acceptable and should never be tolerated.
Discrimination
A workplace discrimination case can often be complex as the verdict comes down to proving intent. Whether through circumstantial or direct evidence, as well as pattern and practice, an employment attorney can help you navigate the waters and obtain the justice you deserve.
Wrongful Termination
All too often employers violate comprehensive legal rights of employees, many of which are protected characteristics. When this occurs, the employee has the right to report the employer (we’ll delve into this next), without fear of retaliation. However, termination due to retaliation among other events may qualify as a wrongful termination case in the court of law.
Protected characteristics include, but are not limited to: race, religion, age, gender, and medical conditions. Adverse actions to requesting time off, breach of contract, language barriers, and whistleblowing are a few of the most common scenarios. With such a significant range of encompassing factors, wrongful termination cases can often be complex without legal representation.
Whistleblowing
Speaking out against an employer can be one of the most challenging actions an employee can take. And if you do many times it results in employer retaliation, which, of course, is unacceptable. In a world where whistleblowing is in the spotlight more than ever before, knowing that you are safe to come forward is imperative. Whether you are an hourly employee or a contractor, you have rights, and our team is here to help.
Wage and Hour Violations
This category is sometimes one of the most overlooked from both parties. Often, employees don’t understand their legal rights for overtime, lunch breaks, and extended shifts. Without this knowledge, a knowing (or unknowing) employer can quickly take advantage of the employee. In California, the laws vary depending on several factors, such as how many employees are within the company, so knowing precisely what is owed can be tricky. This, however, is an excellent time to contact an employment attorney to discuss if your rights are, or have been, violated.
If you have experienced any type of illegal or unjust action within the workplace, hiring an employment attorney is often your best path. At Hershey Law, our team of experienced professionals have proven success in and outside of the courtroom. Don’t fall victim when we are here to help you fight.
