Tag: Rights

Standing Up For Your Rights In The Workplace

Two focuses of my blog are Career Discussions and Workplace Discussions. In some instances, situations arise where worker’s rights are threatened in the workplace. It’s for these reasons its important for workers to know what their rights are. The following contributed post is entitled, Standing Up For Your Rights In The Workplace.

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There are laws and regulations that employers have to meet the standards of and legal repercussions for those who don’t. However, when rights in the workplace are being ignored or disregarded, it can seem hard to know what you should do. After all, the power balance between employee and employer isn’t equal, and it’s not unreasonable to fear for your livelihood. So, what steps should you take to have yourself covered?

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Know whether they’re breaking the law
How you handle the case depends on what kind of issue you have with the manager or higher-up. If they are breaking company policy, then it will be a matter to be handled internally. However, you should also take a look at the things your boss can’t legally do. If it’s illegal or it breaks some form of regulation, then you have a lot more options that you can rely on if the first step doesn’t change anything or solve your concerns.

Report it internally first
Many of the kinds of wrong-doing in the workplace can be classified as professional misconduct and any business that is big enough should have procedures to report it. As Bright HR states, you can report this internally once you have an idea of what is going on. It’s best to have evidence to submit, but even if you don’t, they should make a record of the report all the same. They might act on it with an internal notice but, even if they don’t, you will have evidence that this is a long-standing issue if you need to take it a step further.

See if you could act as a whistleblower
Sometimes, reporting it internally might not be the best option if, for instance, the business owner or highest levels of management are also in on the misconduct. Or perhaps reporting it internally didn’t solve anything. If that is the case, then it might be time to look into help from places like the Whistleblower Info Center. The right legal advice services can help you make sure that you’re proceeding as carefully as possible, all the while making sure that you’re holding them accountable, whether it’s in the courts or through on the industry’s regulatory bodies.

Can your employer punish you?
The biggest fear of all is that if you speak up, you can be punished by your employers or managers. This is one of the reasons to make sure that any action taken outside the workplace is done with the right help. However, if you are mistreated or even let go after filing any complaints or cases against an employer, then that is very likely to count as workplace retaliation, which is illegal in and of itself. It may even amount to a wrongful termination suit. Once you decide to stand up for your rights, do be aware of the risk of retaliation, but be just as aware of the fact that you can fight it.

Keeping employers accountable is a big part of keeping the workplace safe. It can be scary, but with the right advice, you can make sure that you’re protected.

The Value Of Understanding Your Legal Rights

Two focuses of my blog are Creating Ecosystems of Success and Health/Wellness. A key to navigating the modern world is understanding your legal rights. You never know when you are going to get involved in a legal matter. The following contributed post is entitled, The Value Of Understanding Your Legal Rights.

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We all have legal rights in terms of how we can and can’t be treated under the law, and that applies to all kinds of situations, from the workplace to interactions with law enforcement. If you don’t yet understand your rights and how to stand up for them, that’s something you should look to change.

When you know what your rights are and what the right ways to stand up for those rights are, you’ll benefit hugely. Here are some of the reasons why understanding your legal rights is so important.

Rights Are There for a Reason

First of all, it’s important to say that your rights written into the law are there for good reason. In many instances, they’ve been fought for and won through decades of political and legal struggle. If you take them for granted and don’t stand up for them, it’s an insult to the protections you have and the people who fought so hard for them.

Avoid Making Mistakes and Unknowingly Breaking the Law

Knowing your rights is not just about protecting yourself from external threats but also about protecting yourself from you. There are many situations in which you might accidentally break the law because you didn’t know your rights and their limits or you don’t take into account the rights of others. Education on this matter changes all that.

Protect Yourself From Exploitation

Exploitation is at the core of all of this. Your rights are there to protect you from various kinds of exploitation and that’s the thing that matters more than anything else too. If you want to make sure your rights are properly protected and you can’t be exploited, it all starts with fully understanding what those rights actually are.

You’ll Know What to Do When Directly Dealing with the Police

It’s usually a good idea to give some thought to the way in which policing might impact your rights. You need to know how police are allowed to treat you and what they’re not allowed to do. If you get arrested for something serious and you need a 3rd degree felony defense attorney, getting them ASAP and ensuring your right to that attorney is respected will be key. You don’t have to talk to the police without one.

Ensure Your Ignorance Can’t be Used Against You

When you’re ignorant and uninformed, you’re easy to exploit and that fact can be used against you. So if you want to make sure that never happens, you should start learning the law and learning your rights as quickly as you possibly can. Not doing so could lead to situations you’ll later regret.

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Your legal rights are there for a reason and you should make the most of them. It’s up to you to learn about them in all of their different contexts. So if this is something that you haven’t yet taken the time to do, it’s time for you to change that. For all the reasons discussed above, you won’t regret it.

Knowing and Upholding Your Rights in the Workplace

The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success and a key focus is Career Discussions. Employment is not a one way street and no matter which career you choose, you do have certain rights when you start. It’s important the know what those rights are when you start. The following contributed post is thus entitled, Knowing and Upholding Your Rights in the Workplace.

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When you work for someone else, you are essentially allowing them to profit from your hard work. However, there are so many benefits that come hand in hand with being employed that the majority of us are happy to take on this kind of position within a company. You have contracted working hours which means regular, stable wages that you can build your life around. You receive pay when you are sick or when you need to take parental leave. You receive annual leave, so you can have a little time off each year without worrying about losing money. Perhaps the most important benefit is having rights as an employee regarding your health and safety that must be upheld, meaning you can feel safe each day when you head to work. Now, most employers keep up with this of their own accord. But if your employer isn’t sticking to rules and regulations, you need to speak out and ensure that your rights are upheld. This can be daunting, but you cannot be punished or reprimanded for demanding what you are entitled to. So, here are some areas to focus on!

A Safe Workplace

First and foremost, you have the right to work in a safe space. Your workplace shouldn’t pose any threat or risk to you, your health and wellbeing. Your employer will have to conduct all sorts of checks to guarantee this. If potential threats are present but can’t be changed, measures should be taken to alert you to them. If there’s a low ceiling, a sign should be fitted ahead of it in order to warn you to mind your head. If there’s a small step that can’t be removed, a “mind the step” sign should clearly be displayed.

Relevant Training

Regardless of what role you are carrying out, your employer should ensure that you are fully trained to be able to carry it out safely. If you work in retail and need to lift heavy items and move them from store rooms to the shop floor, you should receive training in how to do this. It may sound like something straightforward and basic, but if you lift things in the wrong way, you could become injured. If you work in construction, you should have training in every aspect of the jobs that you need to carry out. If you don’t and are then hurt during construction, you will be able to seek legal aid and receive compensation.

Regularly Updated Risk Assessments

Your employer should carry out risk assessments associated with every aspect of your role. If something is a “risk” it means that there’s a chance that you could be injured or harmed while engaging with it. Your employer should then take measures to remove this risk before you are put to work.

These are just a few of the different rights that you have in the workplace. Make sure that your employer is upholding them at all times! This is for your own sake and others’ sake!