By PAGE Editor

If you are a worker, in any kind of environment, there are certain rights that you should be aware of so that you know if they are being violated. Understanding and protecting your rights as a worker is crucial for a healthy work environment and for making working conditions better for you and your fellow employees. Follow these six legal tips for workers to make sure that your rights are always protected.

Understand Your Employment Contract

Before you ever even sign a work contract for a new job, you should thoroughly read through the employment contract to ensure that your rights are clearly laid out. If you have any doubts about payment plans, health benefits, discrimination, or anything else that applies to you and your well-being, then bring it up with your employer. This may occur during training days but before you start working full-time with a company. If you work in a factory or warehouse where there are higher risks for injury, make sure that your employment contract also states their workers' compensation plan. 

Work with a Lawyer

In the case that you feel your rights have been violated or you have been injured or gotten sick on the job and your employer did not treat you daily, it is time to contact a lawyer. Working with a good lawyer means that you will not have to fight for your rights alone. You can find a San Diego workers' compensation lawyer by looking online and reading through reviews about their work defending the rights of workers. This kind of lawyer should be brought into the conversation if you are struggling to get clear answers from your employer about medical bills, compensation, or anything else that goes along with workers' compensation. 

If you were injured on the job, under your employer’s supervision, then you are entitled to certain rights and those rights should have been read to you when the injury first occurred. Many times, workers are not given the support they need from their employers and this is where lawyers can come in and point out unsafe work environments or other discrepancies that led to the injury.

Know Your Rights Regarding Discrimination and Harassment

Nobody should ever be made to feel inferior at work, but these things happen from time to time. Working to fight against discrimination and harassment in the workplace can be a very difficult process, so understanding your rights is important. Depending on where you live, there may be certain laws in place that protect workers from workplace discrimination. For example, if you can prove that a co-worker or a boss discriminated against you in some way, you may be able to receive compensation. 

If you are bothered to the point of harassment, you can take it even further and take the person who harassed you to court. Working with a lawyer and educating yourself on your rights will help you a lot in getting the justice you deserve. Knowledge is power and having legal help will aid you in putting down any kind of discrimination or harassment. 

Exercise Your Right to a Safe Workplace

Whenever you enter a new work environment, one of the first things you should do is educate yourself about all of the safety measures that are in place. This is especially important if you work in a factory or warehouse where a lot of heavy equipment is being used at all times. If you notice any safety issues, report them to a superior immediately as it is your right to feel safe at work. If you receive any pushback, make sure to have documentation to prove that you have every right to call the company out if you and other workers do not feel safe when you go to work. 

Some working environments may turn out to be unsafe and even if you say something, nothing will change. In this case, it is your right to terminate your contract and work with a lawyer to see what kind of compensation you can get for lost wages because you felt you had to leave your position for your own safety.

Understand Wage and Hour Laws

Some jobs are very taxing and, thus, have certain laws about how many hours they can be performed in a day or in a week. Crane operators for container ships, for example, can only work a few hours at a time because they have to sit in a very uncomfortable position looking down through a glass floor while remaining extremely focused. If you are taking on a position where you have to do an arduous activity like that, make sure that your contract states that you may only work for a certain amount of time at that activity. 

If you ever feel like you are being overworked or are not being paid a fair wage for the amount of work that you are doing, then it is important to speak up. It is better to say something and feel safe in your abilities than to push through fatigue and make a mistake, get hurt, or hurt others in the process.  

Understand Your Rights Regarding Family and Medical Leave

Life happens and when things go wrong and you need to take time off of work, you must know your rights regarding family and medical leave. If you are taking medical leave because you were injured on the job, then you should have an agreement with your employer about how much time you need to take off. If you need time off because of a family emergency, your job should have some kind of document stating how much they will allow. If you are an hourly worker, you may be able to request days off in advance, but if it is an emergency, you may need to use your knowledge of your rights to negotiate time off with your employer. 

Protecting your rights as a worker is a constant activity that will sometimes require bravery and risking losing your job. With the help of a lawyer, any rights that have been violated can be compensated for in the end.

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