What does an Employment Attorney Do?
An employment lawyer advises both employers and workers on state and federal employment regulations and whether there have been any violations. An employee attorney can ensure workers get consistent and fair treatment. Further, an employment lawyer can assist employers to comply with all workplace-related laws. To find the best employment attorney near you, consult online directories like Yelp, Yellow Pages and others.
In addition, an employment lawyer can create and review handbooks for employees, help with wage law rights and issues, represent businesses before the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) and offer guidance to employees to ensure their rights do not get violated. They can manage employment-related law issues such as:
- Whistleblower protection
- Contract violations
- Sexual harassment
- Workplace discrimination, and
- Wrongful termination
While an employment lawyer can manage all these, some clients may prefer to use a specialist sexual harassment lawyer like the one found here, for example. An employee lawyer can also represent workers who are not union members and therefore face a disadvantage in tackling any illegal actions performed by their employer.
Benefits for Employees
If you face situations such as the following, consult an employee lawyer:
- Your employer does not give you entitled benefits as per your contract
- Your employer has transgressed federal or state laws meant to protect staff
- Your employer forces to you waive entitled rights
- You are illegally fired or terminated from work
- Your employer retaliates, discriminates or harasses you
These are some situations in which you might need the assistance of an employment attorney. There are several other issues as well that may require you to seek legal counsel. For example, in order to ensure that their employees get medical care and compensation for some of the lost wages in case they get injured, most employers purchase worker’s compensation insurance (visit this page to learn more). If you are not covered by such policies, and if you suffer a workplace injury, it is likely that you will need professional legal aid to pursue workers’ compensation. In all the above scenarios, you would need to find an employment lawyer quickly and not delay. Otherwise, it could be difficult for you to prove your employer’s illegal conduct and you may not be able to recover damages.
Benefits for Employers
A qualified employment attorney can help employers with various employment and labor subjects. They can inform employers about relevant federal and state laws, and enable them to comply with those regulations.
Find an employment lawyer in the following cases:
- You require a representative for collective bargaining talks
- A staff member has complained against you alleging harassment or discrimination
- An employee files a lawsuit against your firm on an employment-related issue
- Your company plans to change the existing pension plan, end a staff benefit, or fire or layoff multiple staff members
An employment lawyer can also help you with other legal issues than disputes with your employees such as a drug-related issue that you might have found out through proper testing methods (you could look at sites like https://www.countrywidetesting.com/pages/lab-testing-services for more information) via reputed laboratories. Employment lawyers can also thus, assist to prepare and review employment and severance contracts and releases.
Costs Involved
The expenses for an employment attorney depend on a number of factors including the specialist’s skills and your case’s details. In general, employment lawyers levy three types of charges:
Hourly charges: Most employment lawyers set a hourly rate. Further, in California state, the average employment lawyer hourly rate begins at $350 for less experienced and smaller firms, and goes up to $450 for more experienced law companies.
Contingency charges: Under this scheme, attorneys get a portion of the court action proceeds if successful. Typically, attorneys will get a pre-agreed percentage amount of the court award or final settlement.
Flat rates: Some lawyers levy a flat amount as fees for less complex legal matters like minor crime cases, power of attorney, uncontested divorces and simple wills.
When to Recruit the Services of an Employment Attorney
Contact the best employment attorney near you for assistance if you get involved in a dispute related to employment. Or, if you are an employer who wishes to ensure your business complies with federal and state employment regulations. The lawyer can aid you to comprehend the intricacies of the problem and enable to you amicably resolve legal disputes.
