The process of seeking employment rarely strays from the usual: you send in your application for the position you’re eyeing, you’re invited for an interview, and when you sign a contract. There are cases when there might be further assessments, interviews, and negotiations in between those mentioned.
Out of all these steps, the most important document you can hold onto is the contract because this is your entire job in written form. Your contract should contain what your job is and what you need to deliver at the end of each working day. It should also state how much compensation you will receive, and what other employee benefits you will be given.
This format applies to almost all employee-employer relationships save for a few that strays from the norm. However, despite this commonality, there are still plenty of employees who take their job contracts with a grain of salt during a time when they need it. For instance, when their superiors give them more workload that is outside the scope of their duties.
Understanding the definitive boundaries of your duties and responsibilities as an employee can eliminate the guesswork from the picture. This means that if there’s even the slightest indication that some of your rights are being violated, you have the power to act on it in the eyes of the employment law. This is because knowing your rights can help you:
Receive the Compensation You Deserve
There is no such thing as a free lunch even if it appears like so because that just means that someone else is paying the price. To put this into context, imagine this scenario: you’re a truck driver and your superior keeps forcing you to work overtime without corresponding pay because they feel like you aren’t putting enough hours on the road.
In this situation, your superior will keep benefiting from your “free labor” and you’re paying the price because you aren’t being compensated for the additional hours. If you feel like you’re being taken advantage of, you should act immediately because otherwise, your superior might think that it’s okay to push you around like that.
Not knowing where to seek help is often a hindrance that employees face in situations like these. In your case, you can look into legal firms such as Truck Driver Rights that can help you address your wage issue and serve as your representation so that you can be compensated appropriately.
You have to keep this in mind because you’re exerting your time and effort to receive the correct amount of salary you were promised in your contract. It is your right as an employee to see to it that your employer holds up their end of the bargain. If they don’t, you have the right to file a claim.
Protect Yourself in All Aspects
There are federal laws that protect the rights of all employees in the workplace so that they can do their jobs to the best of their abilities without worrying about their safety. This law has provisions for fair wages, all kinds of discrimination, overtime pay, a safe working environment, as well as family and medical leaves.
Simply knowing that you have the law on your side should be enough to ease your doubts, but it can also help if you can identify when your safety is being compromised. An example of this would be if your employer fails to do their duty of maintaining the standards of a safe working environment.
This can be especially pressing if their negligence caused you to suffer debilitating consequences, which can prohibit you from working to earn a living and support your family. In this situation, you can file an occupational accident claim so that you can be compensated for the costs of your medical bills.
Avoid Toxic Working Conditions in the Future
It can be incredibly frightening to speak up when your employee rights are being violated because there’s a possibility that you can lose your job, but you shouldn’t let your fear of retribution be the cause of your suffering. If anything, it should be a wake-up call that you deserve better.
If you believe that your superior or employer have taken advantage of your need to earn a living, then you must do everything in your power to relieve yourself from that situation. Knowing how to identify the signs of a toxic work environment can also help you make better choices in the future.
So even if you think that you’re just a mere employee who needs to do everything that you’re told, you shouldn’t compromise your health, safety, or integrity just for the money. There are plenty of jobs out there, but you only have one life and body; use it wisely.
