Minnesota Employee Rights Lawyer
As an employee (or an employer with employees), it is important to know what rights you (and your employees) have. If you are an employee, you have a right to talk to a lawyer if you feel like your rights are being violated.
If you are an employer with employees, you need to make sure that your employees are treated fairly and you are respecting their rights. If not, you might find yourself in some legal trouble.
Here are your rights as an employee.
Free from discrimination.
You have a right to a fair job interview. You can’t be discriminated against due to your age, sex, gender, religion, or sexual orientation. You also can’t be asked certain personal questions about your family (whether or not you have one or are planning to). These questions are off-limits.
Once you have a job, you shouldn’t ever feel like you are discriminated against. You should always be treated fairly. If you feel like you aren’t getting the projects or promotions that you deserve (because of who you are), your rights could be compromised.
Not harassed
Even if you don’t feel discriminated against, you still shouldn’t be harassed at work. Many people make jokes and comments that are inappropriate. This comments, about your race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, and much more, shouldn’t be tolerated.
Sexual harassment also shouldn’t be tolerated. Some men (and women) touch inappropriately in order to get a rise out of their co-workers. Some may even suggest that you could get a raise if you sleep with him or her. This is not acceptable behavior at work.
Privacy.
Everyone deserves privacy in their place of employment. This privacy extends to your personal things, such as purses and bookbags. Some businesses even give their employees lockers to store their personal items.
You also have the right to privacy when you are on the phone at the office. However, your employer has every right to know what you are doing when you are on the Internet, especially during work hours. This is especially true if you are using your work computer.
Safe Workplace.
Your employer needs to provide you with a safe place to work. You shouldn’t have to worry about dangerous conditions. Toxic substances should be kept away from your workplace. Any safety hazards should be acknowledged and fixed before anyone gets hurt.
If your job is not always a safe one, you deserve to have the right training so that it is as safe as possible. If you work with hazardous materials, you should be using every precaution to make sure that you don’t come in contact with it. If you work on the roof, you should know how to do it safely. You shouldn’t work when it is wet and slippery.
Fair Compensation.
Everyone deserves to be compensated for their time and energy. You are providing a service for your employer, and you deserve to be paid for it. As you gain experience and knowledge, your pay should recognize that. You deserve to get raises when you prove to your employers that you are worth it.
Another part of fair compensation involves equal pay. Everyone in the company should be paid fairly, due to their skills and knowledge. Many feel like women aren’t paid as well as men and it isn’t really fair.
“Whistleblower” rights.
“Whistleblower” rights mean that you can file a claim or a complaint against your employer without worrying about retaliation. Many people are scared to talk to someone if they feel like their boss is doing something wrong. They worry about losing pay or even their job. However, all employees have a right to talk to someone if they feel like they are being treated unfairly or there is something wrong at work.
Medical or religious exemptions.
If you have a medical condition or religious beliefs that may make changes at work, your boss has to accommodate them (within reason). You can’t get in trouble if you have to leave for a doctor’s appointment due to a medical condition. If your religion is against something, you have a right to walk away from a project.
Confidential information to stay that way.
If you have any medical or genetic information that gets shared with your employer, they must keep it quiet. Nobody at work, except for your boss, needs to know what is going on with your health. If you find out that your boss is spreading this information out to others in the company (without your permission), you need to take action.
Even before you are an employee, you have a right to the job. You shouldn’t be discriminated against before you are even hired. During the interview, you can’t be asked anything about your race, sex, age, or even family status. Once you are hired, you still deserve to work in a place where you don’t have to worry about discrimination. You should get every project and promotion that you deserve.
You also deserve a workplace free of harassment. Though many wouldn’t go far enough to call it discrimination, there are times when jokes and comments are made. These often go too far and make someone uncomfortable. They shouldn’t be tolerated. No matter how old you are, what your sex is, your race, and who you love, you deserve to be able to come to work and feel safe.
You also have privacy rights. If you are taking a personal call at work, you deserve to be able to make it without anyone listening in. However, you don’t have privacy when you are using your work computer. They can look at your email or any of the websites that you are browsing while you are supposed to be working.
Employees also have a right to fair compensation for their work, a safe workplace, and even “whistleblower rights.” Too many people are scared to talk about any problems going on at work. They fear for their job so they keep their mouth shut.
Contact us for all of your legal needs.
Disclaimer: The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individualsituation. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send any confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established.