If you are an employee and you think your rights have been violated by your employer, then you should be ready to fight. The situation may be intentional or unintentional, but the results are the same: you might feel that you have been mistreated.
Some workers may feel that a lawsuit is the best option to remedy the situation or to get the right compensation if the management does not seem to be listening to them. Here are the most common lawsuits filed against an employer:
Discrimination Lawsuits
One of the most common lawsuits employees file against their employers is a discrimination lawsuit. This covers many types of discrimination. People have been fired, harassed, and have experienced retaliation because of their circumstances or the things they did. This could be because they are of a particular race, creed, or sexual orientation. Even the disabled are discriminated against.
Most states in the U.S. have implemented anti-discrimination laws to protect employees from such treatment. However, the main basis of these lawsuits is several federal anti-discrimination laws that apply to all states. These include:
- Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which protects against discrimination based on race and gender
- Pregnancy Discrimination Act, which protects pregnant women
- Equal Pay Act, which requires equal pay between men and women
- Age Discrimination in Employment Act, which stops discrimination based on age
- Title I of Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), which deals with discrimination based on disabilities
If you feel that you’ve been discriminated against, these laws are what you should refer to when you’re considering a lawsuit.
Wage Lawsuits
As an employee, you deserve to be paid fairly for your work. That is why you when you think your employer is shorting you on payment, you should fight for proper compensation. The U.S. has a minimum federal wage and has standards for proper bookkeeping and reporting. Overtime pay is included in this. Some employers do not pay overtime or they are deliberately doing dodges to avoid paying the minimum wage. Most wage lawsuits revolve around this and they are often worth the effort.
Torts Lawsuits
Torts is a rather wide area. This is because torts cases often involve a violation of a person’s civil rights. Businesses can do this either intentionally or unintentionally. Unintentional violation happens when the employers are negligent and don't do their best to secure the safety of their workers. This can result in accidents that can hurt or even cause the death of their workers.
This is where damages and wrongful death claims come in. You’ll need to consult with a reputable wrongful death attorney in Los Angeles and other urban areas if you think a loved one’s death during their shift is worth a lawsuit.
Breach of Contract
Businesses do everything through contracts. This ensures that all parties are bound legally to do their part. As an employee, you sign an employment contract you do your part by working accordingly. Your employer delivers on his side of the contract by paying you and following the terms indicated in the contract. If they don’t follow it, then you can sue them for a breach of contract.
Employers often have too much power over their employees. It can be difficult to get what you deserve from them. The lawsuits above should help get you on even ground with them and assure you that you are properly compensated for their violation of your rights as a worker.
