By: Gregg Zeff
On: January 31, 2022
What are the Benefits of Employment Law?
Employment law is a broad area of law that at its core is designed to regulate the actions of employers and employees, as well as provide protection for both parties. The relationship between employers and employees can be complex, from ensuring employees have the appropriate benefits, to ensuring that individuals feel safe and bringing some balance to the power differential between management and support staff. The major benefit of employment law is that it creates the guidelines for how to approach conflicts arising out of each of these situations and ensures that no one party is taken advantage of.
One of the most important aspects of employment law is that it describes the rights and protections for many employees. These rules are essential to making sure that every individual has an equal opportunity to pursue careers, feels safe within their workplace, and has access to a minimum pay and benefits. In other words, employment law is designed to secure every employee within their employment and offers options for seeking justice if those securities are infringed upon.
Employment Law Ensures a Safe Place to Work
When you are employed, you have a right to a safe and secure place to work. Safety in the workplace means a variety of things, and employment law generally protects employees in each of these areas of concern. For example, employment law states that employers must take care to ensure that employees will not sustain injuries on the job, meaning your employer must provide you with adequate training, safety equipment, supervision and tools when you are dealing with potentially harmful situations. However, safety in the workplace can also mean that you are protected from unwanted or threatening advances from other co-workers or customers. Put differently, if your employer is aware that the behavior of another employee or customer is threatening or makes you feel uncomfortable, employment law requires them to take action.
How does Employment Law Protect Workers?
There are countless ways that employment law protects employees. Some of the most notable examples include:
- Requiring that all workers are paid at least the national minimum wage
- Prohibiting employers from making hiring or promotional decisions based on a persons’ race, gender, age, or disability
- Providing basic benefits, such as sick leave, family leave, and necessary breaks
- Many local employment laws govern the means by which an employee can be hired or fired
- Prohibiting sexual harassment in the workplace
- Prohibiting harassment in the workplace based on race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or age
- Ensuring that men and women are paid the same for the same or similar work
- Requiring employers to promptly pay their employees and not withhold paychecks
- Ensuring that individuals with specific needs, whether due to medical conditions or religious beliefs, are reasonably accommodated
- Ensuring that employers do not retaliate against employees for reporting concerns or other violations of employment law
What Workplace Rights do Employees in the US Enjoy?
At the national level, there are several rights that US employees enjoy, including:
- National minimum wage
- Freedom from discrimination in the workplace
- Freedom from harassment in the workplace
- The right to a safe workplace
- Right to certain benefits, such as sick leave and family leave
It is important to note that while these national protections are somewhat barebones, every state has their own collection of employment laws that further regulate the relationship between employers and employees and even provide additional benefits.
What Recourse do Employees have if their Employer Violates Employment Law?
Typically, when an employer violates the rights of an employee, there is an outlined course of action an employee can pursue in order to remedy the wrong committed. Typically, this process begins by having the employee file a complaint with the appropriate employment agency, who will then review the complaint. If the agency fails to take the appropriate action, the wronged employee can generally appeal that decision to a local court (or a federal court if the employer violated a federal employment law) and initiate a lawsuit. If the lawsuit is successful, and the employee is able to demonstrate that his or her employer violated the employee’s rights, the employee can seek compensation.
Contact Zeff Law Firm with Employment Law Questions and a Free Consultation
The world of employment law can be difficult to track. The added stress of being wronged by your employer can make navigating this area of law even more challenging. Trust the attorneys at Zeff Law Firm to stay up to date on all employment law trends; They are always available to discuss your concerns and answer questions about employment law. Contact us today for a free consultation and get our first impression about your penitential employment law case.