Employment law is a broad area of law, encompassing everything related to the workplace and regulating the relationship between employer and employee. Employment solicitors are employment law experts who can be hired by employers or employees to address a wide range of issues related to work environment, relationships or policies.
Keep reading to learn more about employment law and the main areas it covers.
What Is Employment Law?
Employment law is an extremely important portion of the law that applies to all aspects of the workplace, surrounding any problems relating to employment contracts or employer-employee relationships. Employment lawyers can be divided into two categories - those who support the rights and obligations of an employee or an employer.
Non-contentious employment lawyers' work involves handling employment contracts and giving general advice on employment-related matters. Contentious work covers disciplinary and grievance cases. Common issues regard remuneration, discrimination, employer misconduct and unfair dismissal, which may result in Employment Tribunal claims or settlement negotiations.
What Is The Employment Tribunal?
If a person has an issue at work that cannot be settled directly with the employer, they may make a claim to the Employment Tribunal. Claims taken to the employment tribunal often involve unlawful treatment. Typical grounds for unlawful treatment include discrimination, unfair dismissal and unfair wage deductions.
What Does Employment Law Cover?
Here are the most common employment-related issues that lead employees to make a claim or seek employment legal advice from employment law solicitors.
Employment contracts
Employers must terminate employment according to contractual obligations, such as honouring the notice period stated in the contract of employment. If employers breach this contract, dismissal could be deemed wrongful, entitling the employee to compensation for any benefits that may have been incurred if the dismissal was compliant.
Discrimination
Employers are legally required to prevent workplace discrimination. Any discrimination attributed to age, gender, race, religion, sexuality or disability is unlawful. Employment law seeks to ensure people receive equal treatment and maintain the same rights.
Bullying or Harassment
Typical workplace bullying or harassment ranges in severity from inappropriate remarks and persistent unwarranted criticism to unwanted physical contact and verbal abuse. Offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour or an abuse or misuse of power that undermines or humiliates can cause physical or emotional harm to someone.
Pay
Wage non-compliance can cause a number of issues, such as late pay, underpay, equal pay, holiday pay and minimum wage obligations. Wrong pay can impact an employee’s financial security, causing harm to their well-being or the working relationship.
Rights
Employees have many rights, as named by the Employment Rights Act 1996, concerning redundancy, working hours, parental leave, whistleblowing and health and safety. Employers are required to uphold these rights without sanction or dismissal.
Need Employment Legal Advice?
At DJP Solicitors, our team of expert employment solicitors have over 15 years of experience dealing with employment-related issues. Our law firm in Aberdeen is dedicated to providing outstanding employment legal advice and representation regarding employment law claims.
For more information or to book a consultation, contact DJP Solicitors today!
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