What Does an Employment Lawyer Do?

Countless disputes arise in the workplace. Most of them are resolved by discussion; however, some of them may require intervention. This is where employment attorneys come into play. 

Employment lawyers are lawyers that specialize in resolving cases pertaining to issues between the employee (often the plaintiff) and the employer (mostly the defendant). Lawyers that take cases from the employee’s side are often known as employment rights lawyers. On the other hand, lawyers who take cases from the employer’s side are management lawyers.

Employment lawyers in Los Angeles know the community and courts in the county. For example, a Los Angeles employment lawyer knows the judge and local legal procedures. 

These lawyers serve many functions. Some of them include:

Ensuring Labor Law Compliance

An ordinary employer may not be aware of all the laws relating to employees other than the basics such as minimum wage, etc. An employer lawyer will ensure the company complies with California labor law to avoid lawsuits. 

If the employer is indeed at fault, the lawyer will be able to guide him on the procedure to rectify his mistake. The attorney has to ensure whether the management under the employer is non-discriminatory and follows all regulations set out by the law. 

Explaining the Rights of Each Party

Sometimes, a party will think the situation is unfair on their behalf without realizing that the law may have granted the right to the other party. For example, if the law lays out the wage of a particular job, but the employer thinks it is too high, he still has to abide by it. 

The lawyer may also explain all the available options to their clients to deal with the matter. They are required to elaborate on each approach and weigh out its pros and cons to the plaintiff. They can even recommend what they think would be the best method for them. This way, most disputes end up being resolved even before the case makes it to court. 

Wage and Hour Lawsuits

The most common problem that arises between employees and employers relates to either wage or work hours. All states have a minimum wage limit; however, sometimes, the employees receive much lower wages than they deserve. 

Other lawsuits that arise are employers forcing their workers to work overtime and refusing to pay them for the extra hours. In some cases, employers will place employees in different categories to relieve themselves from the duty of paying overtime. 

Lawyers are able to understand where the problem lies and whether the claim is worth being taken to court for. Where the employer is at fault, his lawyer may advise him to settle the matter outside of court to prevent a bad track record. This saves a lot of time and money. 

Conclusion

Employment lawyers should definitely be consulted when it becomes clear that the employer is unwilling to resolve the matter without external intervention.