5 Common Violations Of Employee Rights

In the present-day work environment, the employee has some rights where they will enjoy legal protection. Their purpose is to guarantee that everyone in a workplace employees, customers, and other persons does not experience harassment, discrimination, or violence in the workplace due to their gender, age, race, religion, or any other aspects of their personality. It is also important that employers respect employees by protecting their rights to support productivity and work to create a conducive environment in organizations. However, despite these protections, these rights are violated periodically, either through a lack of awareness on the offender’s part, or through incompetence or even malicious intent on behalf of employers or other co-workers.

Sexual Harassment

There exist several types of workplace harassment with sexual harassment being the most rampant and blatant violation of employees’ rights. This can occur in many forms and elaboration includes touching the body, especially in areas a person deems to be private, making sexual comments and jokes, or demands for sexual favors. Employment discrimination, one of which is sexual harassment gives the abused an unfavorable working condition which might make them uncomfortable in performing their duties and even this can hurt their health and emotions. It is also important to note that it has become the law that employers should ensure that they prevent and address cases of sexual harassment in the workplace.

Discrimination

Age and gender, race or religion, and any other category listed under both national and international employment laws are also unlawful to be discriminated against in any way. The different discrimination is for example; pre-employment discrimination; discrimination in promotions or dismissals; unfair remuneration; and discrimination in providing working conditions and facilities to a person with a disability. Employers have a legal responsibility to ensure that unjust bias is not present in decisions made concerning employees and that employees are provided equal opportunities.

Wage Violations

Wage violations are acts, which Spring entails that employers have a tendency not to pay their employees the wages that they are supposed to pay for services rendered by the employees. This can range from failure to remit a wage equal to or above the minimal wage, failure to compensate workers for the extra hours they worked, and other unlawful deductions on wages. Minimum wage underpayment is usually influential in the well-being of an employee since it is a workout issue his or her salary is lowered.

Employee Misclassification

Employer misclassification can therefore be defined as a state in which an employer categorizes an employee as an independent contractor or as an exempt employee from the overtime pay rule regulations when the declared employee is a non-exempt employee. This practice can prove to be advantageous for the employer in a way where they are not obligated to give the employee or to compensate them all of the legally allowed benefits or overtime pay. The inability to be classified appropriately results in the denial of numerous rights and privileges including payroll rights including wages, actual hours worked, and other privileges like unemployment and workers’ compensation amongst other provisions.

Hostile Work Environment

A hostile workplace is considered when one is intimidated, harassed, or abused for certain features or opinions. It may be jokes, remarks, or feedback that are sexual or involve race, religion, color, gender, age, or other aspects protected by law or prejudice, threats of physical harm. Constructive workplace culture has a considerable effect on employees, discouraging them and making it hard for them to work due to the pressures of a toxic environment.

Holding that employee rights are not only legal rights but also moral rights, it is sensible to conclude that it is the moral duty of employers to protect such rights. Failure to respect these rights may lead to several complex issues within the employer and employees ranging from low productivity, poor morale, and legal repercussions, among others, and negatively impact the business reputation. Employers must increase general awareness of employee rights among themselves, their subordinates, and other staff members and take measures to ensure that such rights are not violated, and any instance of violation if experienced should be urgently addressed. Through the promotion of a good organizational culture that protects and supports the rights of the employee to vary in ways that are legal and rightful, the organizations stand to benefit from good employees, proper organizational culture of the organizations as well as the right employees will benefit from proper organizational culture of the organizations.

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