Everyone deserves to be treated with respect at work, and you should feel safe and happy when you go into the office to do your job. However, there are several reasons that you could be feeling unsatisfied or unhappy in your employment. While sometimes it might be a case that you’re not in the right career and lack passion for your work, or perhaps you don’t get along with your colleagues, there are other circumstances where it could be down to how your employer is treating you. It might be intimidating to take legal action against your employer, and it is understandable why people might be reluctant to do so. Still, your employer should be held accountable if they are engaging in misconduct and purposefully making your working life miserable. Below are some key examples when taking legal action against your employer is justified.
Unfair Dismissal
Losing your job unexpectedly can be incredibly distressing as it can leave you in a very difficult financial position as well as the added pressure of finding new employment as soon as possible. If your boss has terminated your employment without justification, you could be in a position to take legal action against them. Some examples of wrongful termination include retaliation to asking for maternity or paternity leave or taking leave for medical reasons, retaliation to reporting misconduct in the workplace, or joining a labor union.
Other circumstances include when an employer has purposefully made your job difficult or created an impossible working environment intending to make you quit your job rather than fire you themselves. You can find out more about these scenarios and other employment law information from the Law Offices of Corbett H. Williams based in California, or a similar law firm for employment law in your state.
Harassment & Discrimination
Another important time to hold your employer to account is if they have been sexually harassing you, threatening you, or discriminating against you based on your political or religious beliefs, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender identity. No one should feel belittled or under threat in the workplace in any way, and particularly not for any of the reasons listed above. This creates a horrible, toxic working environment and fails to give everyone fair treatment and respect. If you have experienced any kind of harassment or discrimination from your employer, seek legal advice and consider pursuing action against them.
Failure to Pay Wages
You deserve to be paid for your work and to get your wages on time. Everyone has bills and other living expenses to pay. A delay in payment from your employer could leave you in a serious predicament, such as getting your power cut due to unpaid bills or even getting into debt because you have had to use credit cards to help cover these expenses. If your employer is refusing to pay your wages or has consistently failed to pay them on time, you could be entitled to take legal action against them.
If you have experienced any of the above at work, you could be in a good position to hold your employer accountable and get some compensation from them for the hardship they have inflicted on you. It might be daunting to do this, but it is important to stand up for your rights as an employee.
