Fair treatment in the workplace has been an ever-evolving issue across the globe. As companies and governments work to amend and create laws to level the playing field and better protect employees it’s important to keep up with what your rights are as a working civilian. Staying educated on your rights and the policies, laws, and regulations in place to protect you, as well as knowing who to turn to for help when you’re faced with an unfair situation can help you keep a long-term career despite whatever the ill intentions of the people above you. Too often people get complacent in their legal understanding and don’t bother to stay informed or updated about how to protect themselves until they find themselves in a situation when it’s an urgent matter.
Better rights and better protections against persisting bad practices
How employers can wrong their staff can vary greatly, but there are carefully drafted laws in place to protect all employees from any type of mistreatment they might experience under the direction of an unprofessional boss. Given the size of some corporations and chains, it’s vital that management is held to a high standard by their employees. With nearly 2.5 million people in the workforce, according to the site linked below, labor litigation statistics have fluctuated greatly over the past decades, showing there is an unfortunate survival of poor practices in some businesses still. This is why getting professional help matters to ensure any situation you may be facing that you’re told the whole truth about your rights and options.
The good news is there are law offices that specialize in workplace protections. Typically made up of several different, experienced lawyers who can collaborate for a wider scope on any issues you’re facing, these offices are your best defense against unlawful or malicious employers. Read on to learn more about how you can empower yourself and your loved ones with knowledge and confidence.
Covering all aspects of harassment and unfair treatment
Specializing in cases involving gender bias, preventing or causing unearned treatment either positive or negative in the workplace, wrongful termination, in which someone is fired for invalid reasons, even assisting with employer retaliation cases, and unpaid overtime disputes, there are experts available to help you navigate the process. Having someone on your side that understands current, active laws, and has faced situations like yours before, can be invaluable to the success of your case. Established protections put in place by California employment lawyer, you have rights that seasoned lawyers can educate on and defend for you in a court of law.
In some cases, it may be very subtle, you may not even notice that you’re being treated differently. Other times it can be overt behaviors and actions, or crude and cutting language, but the signs will be there, and you need to know you have someone to turn to. When you’re told you’re not capable of certain jobs because of pregnancy, or gender, it can be humiliating and infuriating, and what you have to remember is while this might not be uncommon, that doesn’t make it okay. This is why there are law firms set up for victims of the same things you’ve experienced. More availability and accessibility mean more opportunities for victims to get help close to their homes and jobs without disrupting their daily lives.
Unfortunately, there are also situations in which you may have found yourself the focus of unwanted attention from someone in your chain of command. People in positions of power are prone to misusing it, and the conveniences and protections they assume come with their titles, as detailed here. Even if there aren’t any inappropriate interactions between an employee and their boss, if their leader uses their title or influence to get back at them for turning them in or to scare them into silence, it can begin an unhealthy cycle in the workplace. There’s never an excuse for these types of situations to be swept under the rug and not addressed, people who abuse their positions should face consequences, and an experienced lawyer can make sure they face the highest consequences available.
Defending sexual harassment victims and recovering tens of millions of dollars for their clients, these lawyers take on corrupt bosses with confidence only obtainable from decades of combined practice in their fields, they can fight on your behalf and educate you in the process. You can see more about statistics surrounding sexual harassment claims in California at the link below.
Retaliation is still harassment
Sometimes it has little to do with the individual, and everything to do with a corrupted management team looking to produce fraudulent employee work hour reports. Skimming off of break times, cutting scheduled hours to prevent you from getting overtime, or not paying your overtime rates at all for hours you worked beyond the established limit of 40 hours per week, are things some underhanded or more shady operating managers can try pulling to get away with saving money or making themselves look better to their corporate office by keeping the business operating effectively while falsifying hours and cutting scheduled shifts.
There’s also always a lingering concern among corrupted businesses that you may be fired without a valid reason. Be it out of spite, to make room for a position to give to a friend or other colleague, or simply because they want someone else to take your job, unprofessional leadership can abuse their power for almost anything and get away with it if no one holds them accountable. By making an example of those in positions of power that are misusing their title, you and your team of lawyers build confidence for other victims that if they take the same measures, justice will be served. Don’t let your fear of retaliation get the best of you, seek assistance under the laws put in place specifically to protect you, and make things right for yourself and those who come after you.