There will be scenarios where employees feel obligated to request help through an employment law firm.
Working within particular business environments presents a lot of pressure for people, especially when they feel like they have been placed in uncomfortable or disruptive positions.
Instead of taking the employer at face value, it is in the best interests of the employee to reach out for assistance.
Workplace Discrimination & Harassment
One of the more common scenarios that an employment law firm will get involved in will be cases involving workplace discrimination and harassment. While HR departments will have procedures and protocols in place, citizens are not always comfortable with the idea of a business managing these situations in-house due to conflicts of interest and a lack of oversight. With harassment being an all too common occurrence, discrimination will surround the identify of an individual, pertaining to an issue of gender, age, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religious beliefs or pregnancy among other categories.
Issues Around Collective Bargaining
Employees are right to be somewhat cynical about the attempts of businesses to intervene with issues around collective bargaining. Australian law affords the rights of workers to use resources of unions to ensure that workplace rights and conditions are upheld. If there are moves made to disrupt that work from the side of the employer, it is beneficial to have assistance through an employment law firm to help set the record straight and see that justice is upheld for collective bargaining positions.
Illegal Employee Termination
When constituents find themselves in the market for representation through these firms, it can often be the result of an illegal termination from the employer. Also known as wrongful termination, this is a case where people believe they have been sacked for reasons that are less than forthcoming or when they are wrongly attributed to the employee. In these situations, it is important to seek expert counsel and navigate why the firing took place and to have those conditions specifically stipulated.
Suspicious Agreement Forms & Documents
No one enjoys reading terms and conditions, but if an employer has presented a document to sign that appears somewhat suspicious or contrary to their best interests, there is no harm in contacting an employment law firm. Carefully looking over the form and assessing the merits of the proposal is something they excel in. Should there be anyone who has been placed in this situation and feel pressured to sign the paper for the sake of the business, it is advisable to have the document to send to an employment law firm to achieve clarity on the topic.
Reduction in Employee Benefits
If an employee finds that their pay has decreased, that their superannuation has dropped or there are other benefits that are no longer afforded to them, it is beneficial to reach out to representatives of an employment law firm. These situations often emerge when businesses decide to cut costs and reduce expenses, but if they are breaching contract terms or failing to value the work of the employee, then they can be subjected to litigation. If this has taken place or could be in play in the intervening weeks and months, it is advisable to seek expert counsel.
Handling Intricate Legal Matters & Logistics
An employee cannot be expected to handle a case of this nature all off their own accord. If they attempt to do so and fail to carry out their professional duties, then the employer will have grounds to fire them. By using the resources of an employment law firm, local participants will have specialists on hand who understand the challenges that they face within the legal system and be able to represent their interests across a range of scenarios.