Does your employer have your best interests in mind? While most employees wish to think the best of their employers, there are many cases where workers end up exploited and where you need an Employment Lawyer.
Workers are provided with legal rights, which employers are obliged to adhere to. Hence, whenever an employee believes that his/her rights have been violated, an employment lawyer can be of assistance.
Employment law is known to be incredibly complex, considering the intertwining of federal and state laws. Nevertheless, an attorney who specializes in this field knows these laws inside and out.
Individuals are encouraged to hire an employment lawyer in Los Angeles in the following scenarios.
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Signing agreements and legal documents
The first scenario when employees are advised to hire an employment lawyer is when signing legal documents and agreements. There’s extensive paperwork you might be asked to sign prior to starting work or in the course of your employment. Apart from signing the standard tax and government forms, employers tend to ask new employees to sign certain forms that affect their legal rights.
For instance, employees are often required to sign at-will, noncompete, nondisclosure, nonsolicitation, and arbitration agreements. While most individuals sign these papers carelessly, you should think twice before signing any of them. An at-will agreement is usually signed by new workers to acknowledge that they are employed at will, meaning employers can fire them at any time.
Noncompete agreements are required by some employers in order for new employees to promise not to set up a competing business or work for one of their competitors after leaving the company. Rightfully, these agreements aren’t considered legal in every state. In the states where they are legal, these agreements have to be limited in view of geographic area, time period, and competitor types.
On the same note, individuals who are requested to sign a noncompete agreement would benefit from consulting with an employment lawyer. The attorney will verify whether the document is legal and advise you to limit its application if possible. Nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) are presented to new workers to sign for the purpose of not revealing any confidential information from the company. Click here to learn how to understand the structure of a simple non-disclosure agreement.
Furthermore, employers usually request workers to sign such contracts if they receive confidential product formulas, manufacturing specifications, or customer lists. An employment lawyer will assist you in understanding the legal terms and explaining which information is classified as confidential. He/ She will also explain the penalties you may face by breaching the contract.
In a nonsolicitation contract, employees agree not to solicit the customers or other employees in the company to a competing business from the moment they stop working for the firm. You should exclude some people from the contract, such as your family members or friends. Consulting a lawyer is a wise idea, as you might end up signing a document you don’t agree with.
Last but not least, some employees are requested to sign an arbitration agreement, which obliges them to give up their rights to file a lawsuit against their employers. Such a contract prevents them from filing a lawsuit for discrimination, wrongful termination, violation of wage laws, etc. If you’re asked to sign a document of this kind, make sure you consult an employment lawyer to verify that the contract is fair for both parties.
Employment lawyers in Los Angeles can be of tremendous assistance when signing legal documents, as they help individuals understand the legal terminology. It often happens for people to sign all the documents placed in front of them without entirely understanding what they are signing. This is usually done out of fear of losing the presented job opportunity.
Before signing an important employment contract, every new employee is encouraged to review the paperwork with a lawyer. Consequently, you’ll comprehend each aspect of the contract and not fear the consequences. The following link, https://www.thebalancecareers.com/what-is-an-employment-contract-2061985, explains what an employment contract really is.
Experiencing discrimination by the employer
Another scenario when employees are strongly encouraged to hire an employment lawyer is when experiencing discrimination by their employers. Workplace discrimination is completely unacceptable, but it’s even more challenging to prove. It’s illegal for employers to discriminate against workers based on their race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, etc.
Every employee is entitled to report discrimination, harassment, or another issue if he/she experiences a different treatment from the employer. Nevertheless, many employers fail to take these claims seriously. Therefore, hiring an employment lawyer to back you up and defend your rights is definitely a wise move.
Being a victim of sexual harassment
Another reason for hiring an employment lawyer is when experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace. Workers often become targets of sexually suggestive comments, repeated date requests, unwelcome jokes, inappropriate touching, etc. Such incidents should be instantly reported to the human resources department.
Nevertheless, reporting sexual harassment to the HR department doesn’t necessarily mean that the situation will be handled properly. In situations where the problem is swept under the rug, you shouldn’t hesitate to contact an employment lawyer. In many cases, employers choose to fire the employees who decide to report them for sexual harassment. This is unquestionably considered a case of retaliation, which is illegal. An attorney will assist you in filing a civil claim.
Experiencing wrongful termination
Workers are supposed to hire an employment lawyer in LA when experiencing wrongful termination. In California, the majority of workers sign at-will agreements. Consequently, employers are allowed to terminate the employment of their workers at any time, provided the reason isn’t illegal.
Workers are entitled to claim wrongful termination in the event of discrimination, constructive discharge, violation of company policy, violation of public policy, whistleblowing, retaliation, etc. A lawyer can help with your case by using his/her legal knowledge and fighting tirelessly for your rights.
Final word
Make sure you hire a lawyer to be your advocate for fair working conditions.
Every person deserves to be respected at work!
