Everyone who works any job at all has a number of rights. It’s important to know what your rights are, for a number of reasons. For one thing, if you don’t know your rights, you can’t defend them, and you can’t even know if your rights have been transgressed. In this post, we are going to take a look at some of the basic rights you have as an employee, and how you can make sure that you are getting them – and what to do if your employer fails on this essential front in any way.
Fair Dismissal
Although your employer has the right to fire you, they need to do so as fairly as possible manner. That means that they can’t fire you for no good reason and that they have to give you fair warning so you can prepare yourself – unless you have been found guilty of gross misconduct, that is. If you feel that you might have been the victim of an unfair firing, you should contact a wrongful dismissal lawyer at your earliest convenience. They will be able to help protect you and your rights and ensure you get what you deserve from the situation.
Equal Pay
A lot of people are confused about what exactly equal pay really means. One part of it is that you should earn the same as someone else doing the same job, who also has the same level of experience. Another is that you should not be discriminated against based on gender, sex, sexuality, race, nationality, or any other incidental factor about you. If you feel that you are not being paid in line with the other people in the organization, you need to make sure that you call it out, blowing the whistle if necessary, for your own sake and others.
Freedom From Harassment
What counts as harassment? It is essentially one of those things which are up for debate, but one thing is for sure: if you feel harassed, you have the right to take the issue further. Harassment is any kind of behavior that makes you feel uncomfortable in the workplace, and it’s something that can manifest in many ways. In a sense, you will know if you are being harassed, for you will simply feel it. It is not a fun or fair situation to be in, and one that you should be sure to tell people about if it does happen.
Knowledge Of Disciplinary Procedure
There might be times when the employer in question needs to punish you for something or other, but this should follow a clear, outlined disciplinary procedure, and that procedure should be something that you are made aware of early on. You should be able to see it written out whenever you like, to keep a copy of it, and for it to be followed whenever necessary. This is something people often overlook, but it is just as important as any other employee’s rights, so make sure to fight for it.