Employers, individual employees, and class-forming workers are all represented by an employment attorney. Numerous laws govern the relationship between employers and employees. An attorney should get involved to defend the interests of people whose rights were violated when it is alleged that these laws have been broken.
Hiring a skilled Ontario workplace lawyer to assist with employment-related matters can lead to a successful settlement through arbitration, litigation, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission practice, or negotiation.
What kind of cases does a workplace lawyer handle?
- Wage and Hour Disputes
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) guarantees that workers receive fair compensation for their labor and offers them protection, as explained by the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division. Conflicts frequently occur when employers fail to pay the minimum wage or more, fail to pay overtime, deceive employees about the number of hours they have worked, or fail to pay workers for work they perform while not at their desks. You should get assistance collecting the money you are owed if you think you are not being paid the entire amount owed or if you have yet to get your last paycheck following a layoff or resignation.
- Anti-discrimination disputes
State and federal laws, such as the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, prohibit discrimination. Workers are not allowed to be fired for reasons such as advanced age, pregnancy-related disabilities, race, national origin, religion, or gender. These categories are all regarded as protected statuses. An anti-discrimination claim may arise if employers discriminate on the basis of protected status in hiring, firing, or terms & conditions of employment.
- Harassment or hostile work environment claims
Employers are not permitted to permit harassment or the creation of a hostile work environment based on a worker’s protected status. An employer may be held accountable for unlawful workplace practices if an employee experiences mistreatment, even from colleagues, or if they are given job benefits in exchange for engaging in sexual harassment.
Suppose an employee reports harassment, and the company has a workplace protection policy in place and responds quickly. In that case, the employer may be held accountable for the hostile work environment that coworkers create. If employees believe they are being subjected to harassment at work that can be taken to court, an employment law attorney can assist them.
- Wrongful termination lawsuits
If an employee feels they were fired illegally, they can get representation from an employment law attorney. Employees cannot be fired by their employers for reporting fraud, for taking time off under the Family & Medical Leave Act, for getting hurt at work, or for any other discriminatory reason related to their protected status.