Is Your Employer Infringing on Your Rights?

When feeling lucky enough to secure a job and onboard with a company you were hoping to work for, it’s easy to see the contract you sign as a list of responsibilities you must adapt to and internalize for success.

Sure, that’s part of the arrangement, but the truth is that the contract also, sometimes in equal part, stipulates how a company is supposed to treat you. It will be designed in accordance with employment law and stipulate essential matters like the insurance you are entitled to, your compensation package, and your right to certain internal processes, like HR reviews should an issue be found and you wish to escalate the problem.

That said, it’s much more common for an employer to press the issue of a breach of contract than an employee is, because they may have standard legal representation, an HR team, and managers who are trained for that very purpose.

Moreover, while you’re busy with work, you may not even recognize that your employer has been infringing on your rights. In this post, we’ll discuss how to notice signs an issue like this  is taking place, and then discuss what to do about it:

Dismissing complaints & recourse

If managers seem intent on dismissing claims of harassment, toxicity, mistreatment and bullying, then your right to escalate issues of this nature may be infringed upon. If you’re constantly being told not to raise the issue, to sort it out yourself, or to de-escalate with the person involved, then your right to process the issue in writing to your HR department may be impeded, especially if the implication that your position at the company will come into question if you dare move forward. Make sure to get these warnings in writing and to evidence when and where you’ve been told this, in case you need to escalate the issue to outside support.

Overtime & hour violations

If the expectation is that you need to commit to overtime in order to be considered a team player, you’re signed up for excess shifts outside of your count, or penalized for not working hours stipulated in your contract, then you may be able to escalate the issue provided you’ve kept an evidentiary log of when and where this has happened. Employers cannot force you to work over your agreed amount of hours in the contract, nor can they penalize you for not doing overtime. [If you have harrassment concerns, consider this Los Angeles sexual harassment lawyer for help.] If you feel they have, you can take this up with the authorities managing employment law in your country.

Insufficient safety standards

Safety standards are not a luxury, they are a necessity and must be formatted into everything and anything you do within the firm. If your provided safety equipment is repeatedly lacking and replacements rarely materialize, if issues such as wet floors aren’t marked encouraging you to file a slip and fall claim, and if you’re expected to commit to tasks outside of your training to fill for someone else, you can escalate the issue and potentially seek compensation, sometimes even if you haven’t been injured.

With this advice, you’ll be able to better prosecute the issue if your employment or human rights have been affected at work.