Equality of Respect: Employment Law 101

In any business, human interaction is vital and taking measures to ensure that people interact with equality of respect will enrich the lifeblood of a working environment. To achieve a harmonious working environment and benefit from the positivity that it brings, it is important that both employers and employees are au fait with the ground rules.

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What is Employment Law 101?

Employment law 101 relates to the relationship between the employer and the employee in terms of their rights and obligations. Although employment law differs from one country to another, there are some basic rules that apply to everyone and the underlying concept is a humanitarian one. A safe working environment, protection from harassment and discrimination and the right to a fair working wage are the kind of basic issues covered by the law and employers are legally bound to uphold these rights.

Setting the Stage

Although an employment contract is not legally mandatory in all countries, it is a good way of making sure that employees are aware of their rights and obligations. Using a respected Law firm like Withersworldwide for help and guidance when drafting the legal clauses in employment contracts. This will mean that both employers and future employees will feel confident that their relationship has a stable legal framework from which to operate within. In the absence of a contract employers in particular will still need to have some kind of legal policy in place that sets out what their employees rights and obligations are. It should be noted that employment law doesn’t just apply to existing employees, it also applies to job applicants and here the main issues to take into account are that each applicant is to be treated the same and must not be discriminated against for any reason, such as age or gender for example.

In Practice

Once employees are aware of their rights and obligations, they will feel protected somewhat and this can make for a more productive relationship. There may be, however, times when an employee has some kind of grievance and in this situation it may be necessary to consult with legal experts in order to achieve a timely resolution to the grievance. A worst-case scenario would see an employee take action against the employer and in this instance both would require some type of legal representation before a resolution could be found.

It’s worth remembering that employment law works both ways and is in place to assist in the smooth running of a business, while at the same time protecting employees. Getting legal advice from expert law firms like JMR Solicitors can better your chances of pleasant and profitable working environment.