When To Get Legal Help With Work Matters As An Employee

There are many jobs out there that are considered dangerous and there are many jobs where you are more at risk of injury than other jobs. This is true, however, in any job, there can be times where you are put at risk, injured, lose your job or put in a situation where you need legal help. There are over a million practicing lawyers in the US and an average of one lawyer to every 300 people. Some might think this is too much, but if you ever need legal help, you know you’ll be able to find some quickly.

You can face a multitude of situations while at work that requires legal aid. Normally if you were to see something illegal you would report it to the police, however, if something happens that directly affects you, this is when you would need legal representation.

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Injury

Injuries at work can be caused by a wet floor or by broken machinery, or anything in between. If you need medical attention after your accident, then you are entitled to compensation, especially if you have needed to take time off work because of it. Places like Fall ProtectionPlus sell the right gear to help prevent these sorts of accidents from happening in the first place. If you see the need for extra protection equipment in your job, then tell your manager – if they say no, ask whether they object to you purchasing it for yourself.

Pay

A lot of issues can arise over paychecks; not being paid enough being paid too much, being taxed too much, and even not being paid at all. Most situations regarding pay can be, and is, fixed quite quickly within the company you work for. However, if this isn’t the case, you may need to find a financial attorney to help fight your corner. To keep track of any irregularities in your pay, become familiar with your paycheck, and keep a record of how much you have worked at the correlating pay.

Breach of contract

This can encompass a wide range of things – each contract is particular to each person, but they all carry certain features that remain the same. The ones to get broken by the employer the most are the legal break requirements, notice and reason given concerning a dismissal, legal amount of hours to be worked straight and dismissal because of undisclosed medical reasons.

A lot of people have found themselves being made to work through breaks or working shifts that are illegally long. And dismissals can’t be made because the employee is suffering from a medical condition unless it endangers you or others – and then it would be a redundancy, not a firing. Specialist employment lawyers would be able to tell you whether you have a case in this area, and if so who would be best to represent you.

Sexual harassment

This one is pretty straightforward; no one has the right to put their hands on you, or make inappropriate comments towards you. If ever you feel victimized or harassed at work, go to your line manager, or above to HR. If nothing is done, you can take legal action.

Job Elimination

What are the legal grounds for job elimination and what are your rights? If you are facing job loss through a downsizing process, you are no doubt worried about your future, angry and scared all at the same time (see How to Emerge from a Job Loss in Great Mental Shape). Whatever the specific circumstances of your job loss, seeking expert advice from an employment lawyer will help to ensure your legal rights are upheld. Understanding those rights is critical if you’re going to get the compensation you deserve.

In some cases, where you can demonstrate that the process was unfair or not according to the company’s guidelines, it may still be possible to claim an increased severance payment, but you would probably need to seek employment law advice to navigate the rather complex legal process involved.

Take a look at I Lost my Job, Now What?.