Did you know that employment lawsuits have gone up by 400% over the last 20 years? As an employee, you have certain rights to help protect yourself when your employer does something illegal.
However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you can sue your employer. Want to get a better understanding of employment law so you feel more confident in knowing your rights? You’re in the right place for help.
Keep reading to learn the most important things to know about federal employment laws.
1. A Former Employer Can Say Bad Things When Giving a Reference
You might not realize it, but when you list a former employer as a reference for a potential new job, your old employer is allowed to say bad things about your performance legally.
They can also give opinions about your work. So, for example, your former employer would legally be able to say that they felt like you were unreliable. However, they cannot say anything that’s untruthful or knowingly give false information about your work in order to prevent you from getting a new job.
Keep that in mind before deciding to list a former employer as a reference.
2. Your Employer Can’t Deduct Money Based on a Reasonable Mistake
Messing up at work is inevitable. And sometimes, those mistakes are costly. If your employer threatens to deduct your pay based on a mistake you made, they may not have the legal grounds to do so.
As long as your error was a reasonable one, like an inadvertent mistake that resulted in a cash error or broken supplies, your employer can’t take money from your paycheck to make up for it.
If your employer does try to deduct from your wages, they must be able to prove that the error was the result of gross negligence, dishonesty, or willful misconduct.
3. Not All Terminations Are Legal, Even in an at-Will State
In most states, an employer can fire employees at will, for “any” reason, and at any time. However, even at-will terminations have some limitations.
For example, an employer can’t fire you because of a protected class like race, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, marital status, or medical condition.
They also can’t fire you in an act of retaliation if you take your own legal actions or report your employer to a government agency. Finally, your employer can’t terminate you if it’s in violation of a contract, like a union agreement.
If you believe you’ve been wrongfully terminated or discriminated against, it’s worth working with an employment law firm like the Law Office of Chris McJunkin to see if you have a case worth pursuing.
Remember These Facts About Employment Law
Now that you’ve read through some of the most important things to know about employment law, you should have a better idea of your rights as an employee. If you believe that your employer is acting illegally, it’s worth taking action.
Interested in reading more like this? We hope you’ll browse through our other articles before you go!
