Unlawful firing. Illegal firing. Sexual harassment. They’re all unlawful behaviors in the office, and they’re all good reasons to employ a good employment lawyer.
Regardless of what kind of employment issue you’re facing, an employment attorney can ensure your legal rights are represented. If you feel you’ve been wronged in the office by a boss or coworker, do not act on your own. Make sure you’ve strong representation on your side.
Employment-law issues have a direct impact on your daily life in the workplace. Under the law, you can not be discriminated against, and you must be treated fairly.
One of the most significant areas protected by employment law is illegal job discrimination. Employers can not discriminate against workers based on race, disability, gender, religion, military affiliation, age, national origin, bankruptcy, citizenship, pregnancy, genetic information or HIV/AIDS status. Although discrimination for other reasons (for instance, height) is not dissalowed most states, these 12 groups are protected.
Illegal job discrimination is covered by federal and, in many cases, state law. The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission hears job discrimination complaints, just like many state level boars. Employing a good employment attorney will help you navigate these organizations if you think you’ve been discriminated against in the office.
Sexual harassment is another kind of illegal behavior that employment lawyers deal with on a regular bases. This type of conduct is protected by the same laws the protect against discrimination. Sexual harassment doesn’t need to be of a romantic or sexual nature; as long as it’s undesired and it is based on your gender, it counts.
Employment lawyers also represent employees who’ve been fired in breach of employment contracts. Employment contracts are rare in many parts of America, and most workers are “at will,” which means employers may fire them without any reason other than illegal discrimination. They’re most common among union workers, executives and professional sportsmen, celebrities and so on.
Contracts can be written, oral or implied, though it is more difficult to enforce oral and implied contracts. Breach of contract claims generally stem from situations in which employers believe they’ve fired workers for “good cause” as necessary for contracts while the employees insist there was no good cause. An employment lawyer can help you if you had an employment contract and you believe your employer breached it.
Non compete clauses are another problem in employment, law, and they have become a growing cause of hassle for recently unemployed workers. When an employee who has signed a non-compete clause leaves his employer, he cannot work in the same field for a predetermined time period or use information he gleaned from his past employer.
These agreements, which provide a lop-sided benefit to companies, can leave employees stymied at the very moment they most need work. As a result they are banned in California, and their use is limited in some other states.
These areas of law are hard to navigate, even when you do not have the stress of working with the condition that has you looking for legal solutions initially. Don’t try to tackle your problem alone. A good employment attorney may help you to the right solution.
 
