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Employment
Lawyer
Protecting
Your Rights
An employment lawyer is someone (an
attorney) who specializes in the legal profession who exclusively or
primarily represent workers in employment disputes.
Their
services often include protecting the rights of workers through
networking, educational programs, publications and technical assistance.
Employment
law is a broad area including all areas of the employer/employee
relationship except the negotiation process covered by labor law and
collective bargaining.
Many employment laws (e.g.,
minimum wage regulations) were enacted as protective labor legislation.
Other employment laws take the form of public insurance, such as
unemployment compensation.
All workers have basic
employee rights
in the workplace, including:
- The right to
privacy (may be limited where e-mail and Internet use is concerned).
- Right
to be free from discrimination and harassment of all types.
- Right
to a safe workplace free of dangerous conditions, toxic substances, and
other potential safety hazards.
- Right
to be free from
retaliation for filing a claim or complaint against an employer (these
are sometimes called "whistleblower" rights).
- Right
to fair
wages for work performed.
A job
applicant also has
certain rights even prior to being hired as an employee.
Those rights
include the right to be free from discrimination based on age, gender,
race, national origin, or religion during the hiring process.
Because
labor laws are a
complicated set of rules and regulations, many employees will see out
an employment labor lawyer who specializes in these types of issues.
The
employment lawyer practice involves giving legal advice, drafting legal
documents, and representing clients in legal negotiations and court
proceedings such as lawsuits.
It is applied to the
professional services of a lawyer or Attorney at Law, barrister,
solicitor or civil law notary.
However, there is a
substantial amount of overlap between the practice of employment lawyer
and various other professions where clients are represented by agents.
These
professions include real estate, banking, accounting, and insurance.
Moreover, a growing number of legal document assistants (LDAs) are
offering services which have traditionally been offered only by lawyers
and their employee paralegals.
Employment
lawyers covers all rights and obligations within the employer-employee
relationship...between employers and current employees, job applicants,
or former employees.
Because of the complexity of
employment relationships and the wide variety of situations that can
arise, employment law involves legal issues as diverse as
discrimination, wrongful termination, wages and taxation, and workplace
safety.
Many of these issues are governed by
applicable federal and state law. But, where the employment
relationship is based on a valid contract entered into by the employer
and the employee, state contract law alone may dictate the rights and
duties of the parties.
For further information on employee
rights, such as the employment lawyer
section here, please be sure
to check out the following areas:
Similar to the employee rights, employers also have
responsibilities and rights. To learn more about this, check
out the employer
liability insurance section.
And don't forget to check out the various employment
background screening sections, especially if you are
interested in federal
government jobs.
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