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When Should You Call an Employment Lawyer?

| Dec 15, 2021 | Personal Injury

Every employee has the right to a safe workplace, a reasonable boss, and fair compensation for the work they complete. Unfortunately, some employers take advantage of their workers or mistreat them. In such situations, an employment lawyer local to Missouri can help the employees to receive the compensation they deserve for their losses.

There are many situations that warrant a lawsuit, and the best way to find out whether you can file for damages is to get in touch with your attorney. Some common issues include health and safety risks, discrimination, wrongful termination, and unfair conditions or pay. By speaking to a lawyer, you can find out whether your employer acted illegally and if so, what level of compensation you might be entitled to.

When to Call Your Missouri Employment Lawyer

If you feel uncomfortable at work due to the actions of your boss or coworkers, you should consider getting in touch with a lawyer. In many cases, problematic situations could be grounds for a lawsuit. This is the case if your health and safety are being put at risk, you are being discriminated against, or you are not being paid for a part of the work you are doing.

Even if you no longer work at the business, you can still file a lawsuit, especially if you believe that your termination was wrongful. Your attorney can listen to your situation and then let you know whether you have enough evidence to receive compensation for your losses. They will help you gather the evidence necessary to fight for your rights and make sure that you don’t suffer financially for what happened to you.

Your Health and Safety Are at Risk

Some of the most common workplace issues are related to health and safety. Every business must ensure that their workers aren’t at risk of injuring themselves or contracting a disease while on the premises. This includes issues such as excessive exposure to chemicals, handling dangerous tools without proper safety equipment, or not properly securing the premises from criminals.

If you feel that you are unsafe when you go to work, you shouldn’t stay quiet about it. Remember that the adverse conditions don’t just affect you but also all the other employees. By speaking to a lawyer, you can prevent serious accidents and even untimely death, and you can stop your employer from hurting both you and other workers in the future.

You Were the Victim of Wrongful Termination

Depending on your contract, your boss may be able to terminate your employment immediately, or they might need to give you some notice. Although they are free to let you go if they are downsizing or no longer need your services, they can’t end your employment due to discrimination or retaliation. If you believe that you have been fired because of your race, gender, sexual orientation, age, or disability, you need to contact a lawyer as soon as possible.

Similarly, you can gain compensation if you believe that your employer let you go as retaliation for something you did. Every worker is allowed to alert the authorities if they witness anything illegal at their workplace, such as environmental damage, and their boss isn’t allowed to terminate their employment for this reason.

There Are Issues with Your Pay

Most employers work hard to compensate their staff for their time and effort, but there are some firms that try to take advantage of their workers. This can take on many forms, but it commonly means that overtime is not compensated. In most cases, it is illegal for your boss to ask you to work more hours without paying you for them.

They are also not allowed to misclassify you as an exempt or non-exempt worker. Employees who are considered managers but perform the tasks of the people they manage must be compensated accordingly and receive the overtime they deserve. Similarly, your employer is required to pay you the minimum wage in Missouri, and you shouldn’t hesitate to contact an employment lawyer if this isn’t the case.

There Are Issues with Workplace Conditions

Even if your workplace isn’t unsafe, there might still be issues that make the conditions illegal. For instance, every employee must have meal and rest breaks throughout their days. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) exists to make sure that workers don’t have to deal with unfair conditions on the job. It doesn’t state that your employer has to pay you for your lunch breaks, but in most jobs, shorter coffee breaks should be considered part of the workday.

There are certain situations related to meal and rest breaks that are considered illegal and grounds for a lawsuit. If you regularly have to work through your break, either because your employer ordered you to or because you simply have too much work to stop, you could be entitled to overtime pay at 1.5 times your normal rate. Employers who fail to observe this condition could be pursued for damages.

There Is Discrimination

No matter what industry you work in, your boss and coworkers are not allowed to discriminate against you for any reason. This includes your race, gender, sexual orientation, country of origin, or disability. Aside from wrongful termination, you might be passed over for a promotion, have lower pay than others with similar skills, or have to deal with negative comments and attitudes from others.

All this is illegal, and you should speak to a lawyer if you believe that there is discrimination at your workplace. This not only helps you to receive compensation for the money, time, and energy you have lost, but it also sends a strong message to your employer.

How Will Your Attorney Help?

Employment law exists to help you fight against unfair conditions that might come up at your place of work. However, it is complex and dependent on your location, so it’s almost always easier to get in touch with a professional, who can help you figure out whether your employer has acted illegally and what level of compensation you might receive.

When you first get in touch, you will be invited to an initial consultation with your lawyer. During this meeting, they will ask you to explain your situation and provide any evidence you already have. Then, you can decide together whether it’s worth pursuing your employer and whether the chosen attorney is a good fit for your situation. If so, you can retain them and work with them to build a strong case.

Fight Back When You Need To

A bad workplace can not only affect your financial life, but it can ruin both your mental and your physical health. In fact, adverse conditions such as health and safety risks or discrimination can cause long-lasting damage and affect you for the rest of your life. That’s why speaking to a highly qualified employment lawyer in Missouri is crucial.

Your attorney can analyze your situation and figure out whether you have grounds for a lawsuit. If so, they will work with you and help you achieve the compensation you deserve. You can then move on to a new job or recover from the problematic situation without having to worry about your financial situation. Call or message us now at Holman Schiavone to book your initial consultation with one of our specialists.

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