When Should You Hire an Employment Lawyer?

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Jon PWriter

09 January 2018

Employment law is extremely complex and it changes continuously. But when should you hire an employment lawyer?

Article 3 Minutes
When Should You Hire an Employment Lawyer?

Usually, the employment law is state specific, meaning hiring an attorney specializing in this field of law is a must. Also, employment law terminology is typically hard to understand, and this is where a lawyer can help by explaining the terminology used in the legislation, handbooks, and in general legal papers involving employment.

An employment lawyer plays a major role in handling legal conflicts between an employer and employee. They can handle different legal issues related to employment, like wrongful termination and sexual harassment. Whether you’re the boss or just an ordinary employee, hiring an employment lawyer is necessary if you are involved in cases like workplace discrimination and contract violation. You can also hire one for whistleblower protection.

Usually, an employment lawyer represents an employee who is not involved in a union and is powerless to prove their allegations against their employer.

When Should You Hire an Employment Lawyer if You’re an Employee?

An employer may commit many unlawful actions that can negatively affect an employee and their employment privileges or benefits. You must hire an employment lawyer if:

  • You’ve been discriminated or harassed by your boss.
  • You were fired or illegally terminated from employment.
  • Your employer forced you to sign a contract waiving your privileges as an employee.
  • Your boss has violated any state or national laws created for employee protection.
  • Your boss hasn’t given the benefits that were stated in your employment contract.

Don’t hesitate to call an employment lawyer right away when you have a work-related issue. If you don’t seek legal help immediately, the delay can stop you from proving the illegal acts committed by your employer.

When Should You Hire an Employment Lawyer if You’re an Employer?

If you’re an employer, a good employment attorney can help you face various labor issues. Typically, they can educate an employer and make them familiar with national and state employment laws. They can also ensure that the employee complies with those laws. If you’re the employer, hiring an employment attorney is necessary if:

  • You need representation for a collective bargaining negotiation.
  • Your employee has filed a harassment or discrimination case against you.
  • You plan to fire or lay off some of your employees, stop giving their benefits, or if you want to change the recent pension plan you’re offering to your employees.

A reliable employment lawyer can also help you in dealing with other legal issues, except for employee-employer disputes, and they can help you prepare or check the contracts or agreements between you and your employees.

Reasons for Hiring an Employment Attorney

You must hire an attorney if you’re involved in an employment-related argument, or if you want to make sure that you haven’t violated any federal or state employment laws. Any legal conflict between the employer and their employee always requires an experienced labor attorney. A lawyer will help you understand the problem and how to deal with it, and will represent your greatest interests in undertaking a legal dispute.

It’s important that you are prepared for what may happen when you hire an employment lawyer. You should hire only the most trusted lawyer and seek help from the National Employment Lawyers Association to hire a knowledgeable legal representative.

Jon P

Jon works for Loch Associates. He is fond of reading, writing, meeting people and loves writing about employment law. In a former life, Jon worked as a content specialist and has good knowledge about employment policies & law.

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17/09/2020 Levi Armstrong
It's great that you mentioned that an employee should seek an employment lawyer's help if their employer forced them to sign a contract that negatively affects or waive their work benefits or privileges. My friend, Anna, needs this advice since she has been discriminated against at her workplace because of her race and gender. I'll call her later to suggest she consult with an employment lawyer soon. Thanks for this!