What types of employee protection statues exist?
There are a significant number of employee protection statutes including, but not limited to:
- Sexual harassment
- Hostile work environment
- Gender discrimination
- Racial discrimination
- National origin discrimination
- Color discrimination
- Reverse discrimination
- Religious discrimination
- Pregnancy discrimination
- Age discrimination
- Disability discrimination
- Whistle blower protection
- Taking a medical leave of absence
- Retaliation
- Wage protection and Overtime disputes
- Benefits protection
- Civil Rights
- Child labor protection
- Family and Medical Leave Act
- Equal Pay Act
- Severance packages
What are some steps I can take to ensure my rights are protected?
Always protect your rights by documenting everything that has happened to you. If you are being harassed, record, with tape, your harasser. It is legal in the State of Georgia to tape yourself and another person in a conversation. Gather any evidence that you can to support yourself, including the names and contact information for any witnesses that will help you. If you are having problems at work, review your employee handbook and complain about these problems to your human resources department. Retaliation for your complaints is illegal.
What can an employee do if they feel they have been discriminated against?
Employees who believe they have been discriminated against must bring a claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission within 180 days. Employees with wage disputes have longer. Employment law is complex, and the remedies for each area are different.
What is the first step to moving forward with a claim?
The most important way to protect your rights is to contact an experienced and qualified Employment Attorney when you believe your rights have been violated. Employment issues are subject to different statute of limitations, meaning the acts must be reported within a specified time frame. If you do not act quickly enough, you may waive your right to legal actions in the future. Further, there are many strategic and timely actions you can take now to protect your rights well into your future. The best way to become aware of these rights and strategies is to speak to a qualified employment lawyer. If you need assistance with a possible employment discrimination case, contact us today.
