While many employers are not aware that they are breaking any laws, there are many federal employment laws that are put in place in order to protect their employees. It is critical for employers to ensure that they are providing a safe work environment for each and every one of their employees.
Here are the two most common employee lawsuits that can be found in today’s workplace environments:
Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment occurs when an employer either demands sexual favors in exchange for a promotion, raise, or other employment perks, or when a work environment is hostile due to its sexual nature. Since this is one of the most common workplace issues, it is critical for every employer to have a sexual harassment policy in place.
Discrimination
Discrimination due to a person’s age, sex, race, national origin, religion, disability, or sexual orientation during the hiring process, during a promotion, or during termination are all prohibited under federal law. Discrimination claims are the most common employee lawsuits, so it is important to ensure that your employer is preventing any type of discrimination from occurring in your workplace.
What Employers Can Do
In order to prevent these common employee lawsuits from happening to an employer, here are a few things they can do:
- Provide an employee handbook to all employees upon employment to ensure that they are informed on workplace policies and procedures.
- Establish the appropriate steps that should be taken by employees when looking to file harassment or discrimination complaints.
- Hold the appropriate trainings for managers, especially when it comes to preventing harassment.
- Establish acceptable workplace behavior as well as what behaviors will not be tolerated.
- Stay informed of the current federal and state employment laws.
If you have any questions or believe that your employment rights have been violated, contact Maduff & Maduff today.