Legal Rights – Every employee has rights in the office that are guaranteed by law. When employees understand their rights and support each other to make sure that everyone is respected at work, the office becomes a better place.

All employees at work have two basic kinds of rights. The first category is statutory rights. Statutory rights are always guaranteed by the law. The second kind of rights is contractual rights.

All of your contractual rights are listed in your contract of employment. According to the law, no contract of employment can deprive you of your statutory rights. Your rights as an employee can be divided into two main groups. The first is your occupational rights and the second is your union rights.

Your occupational rights are based on your specific profession. Union rights refer to the rights of a group of people practicing the same profession. An employer may not take notice of a single person standing up for their rights. But fighting for employment rights becomes much easier when you have a group of people practicing the same profession. It is less likely that an employer will treat a group of workers standing up for their rights unfairly.

Standing up for your Legal Rights as an Employee

You will face situations when you have to stand up for your rights. This can be especially difficult to do if your working conditions include an oppressive environment. Things can get even more stressful if you have a demanding boss keen to take advantage of a nerve-wracking situation.

There is always a risk involved with trying to stand up for yourself and your colleagues. That does not mean that you should let them continue to oppress you. Remember if you back down, there will be more oppression and pressure from the opposition. This is how you can fight back if you think your skills are being exploited unethically.

Know your Legal Rights

You need to know your legal rights if you do not want to be taken advantage of in the workplace. This includes things like what is the minimum wage and what should be the safety standards, most employees know this. Your legal rights also pertain to your health coverage and social security.

Make sure you are aware of all the different conditions and clauses just in case a mishap occurs. The truth is that there are a lot of companies that will take advantage of their employees, just because the employees are not aware of their rights.

Understanding Your Employer’s Legal Responsibilities

Your employer is hiring you to complete a certain task that will ultimately benefit his company. The employer will collect all of the financial benefits from your occupational engagement. The employer can do that if they successfully fulfil all of their legal obligations as an employer. And as an employer, they must provide you with the required working environment based on your occupational role.

The working environment also includes the coordinated HR policy with all the necessary holidays and weekends according to the schedule. No employee should face undue pressure to show up at work or work extra time on a scheduled holiday if they are unwilling to do so.

Benefits

A majority of people are proud of their salary and responsibilities when they get a new job. After successfully clearing a job interview, employees should be concerned about the benefits and privileges. Before accepting a new job position, make sure you are aware of the benefits you will get and that it matches the job role. You should be in a position to negotiate on the benefits offered to you.

Telecommuting, flexible working hours, and medical coverage are all important aspects of job benefits. Any one of these factors may be more important depending on the job role you are accepting. Take time to understand any offer being made to you. Do not hesitate to negotiate if something doesn’t seem right. Understand that you might be facing a lot of pressure in the new job role if your potential employers are unwilling to negotiate.

Don’t Hesitate to Push

Working in an oppressive workplace, you might think it is precarious to your job to push for issues that are important to you. There is no need to hesitate if the law is on your side. This means you should not be afraid to ask for compensation for an accident that occurred at work that was not your fault. A fraud attorney can make it easier for you.

Keep in mind that there are laws protecting employees from a disgruntled employer.  Verify that you are given the proper package if you have been laid off at a moment’s notice. Do not sign anything under pressure on the spot. An employee should get the time to review any kind of settlement being offered.

A settlement includes severance pay and a lay-off package. Some organisations think that the rules for severance pay are set in stone. The truth is the law has been changing over time. Now companies must take into consideration several different factors such as age, education, length of service, and other factors, before offering severance pay.

Do not hesitate to consult with an employment lawyer if you are not sure what to do.

Salary

Most of the disputes between employers and employees almost always come down to the salary. Late pay, salary deductions, and unpaid salary have an adverse on an employee’s salary. In some cases, it can be illegal.

Do not hesitate to contact Workplace Fairness if you are facing any issues or if you feel you have been dealt with unfairly by your boss. Do not let your time and labor go lost with an unpaid salary. Employers must abide by government rules and laws for holidays, salary, and overtime.

Recognising Harassment

Harassment is a serious allegation and offence in the workplace. You should be able to identify when someone is trying to harass you whether it is discriminatory or sexual harassment. Some employees find it difficult to confront harassment because it is a huge allegation.

Being afraid of the professional repercussions of harassment is unjustifiable. If you witness harassment in any form, do not hesitate to speak out. Do not hesitate to help out a fellow employee. In most cases, they will thank you for it later. It will have an overall positive effect on the entire office.