Kaboutjie SA Mommy Blogs by Lynne Huysamen
When you are faced with a legal matter in the workplace, you need the best advice you can get. Employment law is a specialized area, and you need experienced professionals you can count on to get the job done quickly.
What Is Employment Law?
Employment law is a broad area of law which covers every aspect of employment, from contracts to safeguarding, and protection against unfair dismissal or discrimination in the workplace.
It exists to protect both employer and employee and helps to regulate the business-employee relationship. It covers a variety of areas including:
- Dismissal
- Employee grievances
- Age discrimination
- Bullying and harassment
- Disability
- Discrimination based on race, religion, gender or sexuality
- Equal pay
- Minimum wage
- Employment contracts
- Redundancy
- Working hours
- Parental leave
These are just a few of the areas covered by employment law— it is a large area of law which impacts many factors of the working relationship.
Why Might You Need to Hire an Employment Attorney?
Employment lawyer help with many challenges faced by employees and employers. Some examples include:
Wrongful Dismissal
If your employer has fired you without notice, and for any reason other than ‘just cause’ or constructive dismissal, you have been wrongfully dismissed. Where there is a cause, the employee is only entitled to wages and any outstanding entitlement.
You may be entitled to a notice period and a severance package if you have been the victim of wrongful dismissal.
Workplace Discrimination
Workplace discrimination can take many forms, such as sexism, racism, homophobia, and ageism. Examples may be paying a female employee less than her male counterpart, firing an employee after an accident, or mistreating an older colleague.
Under the Ontario Human Rights Code, human rights discrimination is illegal in the region on the basis of ancestry, place of origin, race, ethnic origin, color, citizenship, religion, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity and expression criminal record, family and marital status and disability.
An experienced lawyer can help to inform you of your rights if you feel you have been discriminated against and advise you of your possible courses of action.
Employee Occupational Health and Safety Legislation
Health and safety legislation exists to protect both employer and employee from a potentially dangerous situation and the risk of lawsuits which this entails.
The law surrounding health and safety demands that all staff are adequately trained and advised in handling potentially dangerous materials and equipment, harassment, and violence in the workplace.
Employment Equity
Across Canada, every worker has the right to equal access to the workplace, and the law prohibits any practices and workplace policies which may be discriminatory towards a particular group.
These are just a few examples of the ways in which an experienced attorney can assist you in your employment issues. If you have any concerns or questions, it is best to seek the advice of an employment law expert to help you decide the best way to proceed.
