There are a lot of laws that protect employees from companies wishing to exploit them. However, those laws are only useful if employees are aware of them. It’s therefore very important for people to be educated about their rights in order to protect themselves. Over the years, a lot of laws have been put in place, and here are some of the most important rights that employees have as a result:
Job applicant rights
A lot of people don’t realize that they have rights even before they are officially employed. There are certain rights that protect even candidates. People applying for a certain job have the right to be free from discrimination. That means that the potential employer must give every candidate a fair chance regardless of their age, gender, race or religion. The prospective employer cannot ask the applicant certain family-related questions during the interview. The candidate also has the right to privacy and the employer is not allowed to share the information that they gathered about them without their consent.
Fair pay
As an employee, you are entitled to financial compensation for your labor. The laws regarding pay have changed a lot over years and are considered a lot more favorable today than they were in the past. The first ideas of equal pay for equal work began during the industrial revolution. During that time, female workers were paid less than the male workers who worked the same jobs. There were a lot of different reasons for such discrepancies, but none of them were really justifiable and things started to change with the first-wave feminism movement and nineteenth-century trade union activism. In the modern world, such gender discrimination is illegal and companies are required to pay the individuals in the same workspace equally.
Workplace safety
Unsafe work conditions can lead to injury or even death. Because of that, there are certain laws in place that require the employee to provide a safe working environment for employees. A working environment needs to be clean with access to food and water as well as washing facilities. The employer also needs to provide the employee with enough time to rest and eat in between work. If the work is dangerous, the employer needs to provide protective clothing and ensure that all machinery is properly inspected and safe. These kinds of laws are very useful. As an example, in Australia, the number of work-related injuries has been decreasing over time due to strict safety rules. Employees that feel like their rights are being violated can get help from reliable personal injury lawyers in Queensland. It’s always a good idea to hire professionals when it comes to protecting your rights.
Annual leave and time off
In order for people to perform well at work, they need to get sufficient rest afterward. People have realized that physically and mentally healthy employees perform better, and have therefore put laws in place that protect workers’ time off. As an employee, you are entitled to a certain amount of annual paid leave and time off during the week. If, due to emergency situations, employees stay longer at work than their normal work hours, they have the right to demand overtime pay, which is usually at a higher rate than their normal hourly rate. Successful companies realize the value of well-rested and motivated employees and will always honor these kinds of agreements.
It’s important to protect your rights as an employee, and the best way to do that is through education. Take enough time to read and inquire about what kind of conditions are allowed in the workspace. If you feel like your rights have been violated, you should always ask for advice from a professional and don’t allow companies to abuse their power.