Employment laws deliver considerable value to both employees and their employers. For employers, employment laws define what they can and can not reasonably expect from their employees. For employees, these laws safeguard against discrimination, harassment, and other forms of unfair treatment in the workplace. Lawyers who specialize in employment law can help anyone (employees or companies) seek legal remedies when they believe employment laws have been broken. If you’re located in Surrey and need help with employment law, make sure to seek assistance from qualified Surrey law firms.
Here are six basic benefits that employment laws offer:
1) Employment Laws Prevent Discrimination
Discrimination in the workplace is an ugly reality, but employment laws work constantly to reduce it. Discrimination takes many forms, including unequal treatment based on race, age, nationality, or sexual orientation. Employers can also discriminate through wrongful termination based on a specific employee’s circumstances. Firing an employee to avoid providing fair compensation (e.g. maternity leave or support following a workplace injury) is another common form of discrimination.
In cases of discrimination, employment laws fall strongly on the side of mistreated employees. Lawyers specialising in this field can help such employees seek the compensation they deserve — and this prospect also discourages employers from discriminating.
2) Employment Law Protects The Rights Of Employees And Employers
While many observers on the ’employer’ side of the equation think of employment laws as restrictive, it’s important to remember that the purpose of the laws is to benefit everyone in the workplace.
Though these laws oblige employers to ensure their hiring practices are unbiased, their workplaces are safe, and their employees are treated and compensated fairly, the same laws protect employers as well. They give companies the right to hold employees to appropriate standards of conduct and behaviour. Employment law allows companies to fire employees when the separation is justified without fear of expensive legal reprisals.
3) Employment Laws Set Standards For Employment Contracts
A proper job must include a legally-binding contract that explicitly defines the responsibilities of both the employer and the employee. These contracts are governed by employment laws, and both parties are free to seek legal advice if they believe the terms of the contract have been broken.
4) Employment Law Helps Resolve Workplace Disputes
Employment laws provide a reliable framework that can be used to resolve disputes between workers and employers in a way that benefits all. Employment lawyers can help both sides of a dispute navigate the relevant laws and identify the appropriate steps to resolving it.
5) Employment Laws Help Business Succeed
Most employment law is focused on ensuring that employees work in safety, receive proper compensation, and are treated fairly by employers. Compliance with these laws is good for workers, but it offers considerable advantages to employers, too.
Scrupulous compliance with all applicable employment laws boosts worker productivity and makes the workplace an environment of trust. Following the law demonstrates that the employer cares for the employees’ well-being. Workers who are confident in their safety and who know that they are treated fairly are more satisfied in their jobs. They’re more loyal to the company and more productive at work.
In contrast, failing to follow employment laws (whether through ignorance or malice) is incredibly risky for employers. The financial costs, bad publicity, and adverse effects on work culture caused by legal infractions can lead to huge, potentially crippling losses.
6) Employment Laws Foster Economic Stability
Like many types of law, employment law is crafted with the well-being of the larger community in mind. Employment laws keep the playing field level for both employers and employees. Employees get the confidence of knowing that all the jobs available to them have to meet the same standards of safety and fair treatment. Employers get the security of knowing that their competitors are held to the same standards they are; no company can gain an advantage over another by mistreating its employees.
This environment of fairness promotes trust and stability throughout communities and the entire economy, up to a national level. The result is fair competition and a working environment where employees are free to be as productive as possible in exchange for decent treatment and compensation.
In Conclusion
Workers and companies both benefit from a clear definition of the rights and responsibilities they have in their professional relationships. Employment laws provide those definitions. Employees and employers can turn to these laws — and to lawyers familiar with them — to resolve whatever problems they might have in the workplace.
