Am I violating my employees’ rights?

Upholding your employees’ rights can result in a harmonious workplace and help increase your workers’ morale. Moreover, it can minimize your risk of getting into trouble with authorities. Unfortunately, some employee rights violations are more subtle than others, and you may be doing some of them unintentionally. Here are some common employee rights violations you should make sure to avoid.

Employer retaliation

This is when employees receive adverse treatment after reporting discrimination, harassment, and other forms of misconduct in their company. Some forms of retaliation are overt, such as firing employees or denying them due benefits. Others are more subtle, like suddenly giving employees poor performance evaluations or blocking their promotion.

Employee misclassification

Misclassification happens when you erroneously qualify your staff as nonexempt or exempt. A nonexempt status entitles an employee to overtime pay, while an exempt status does not. There are specific guidelines on when employees qualify for which status. Misclassification can prevent your staff from receiving correct compensation for their work.

Discrimination

The government protects employees from harassment, unfair treatment, and other forms of discrimination based on various factors, including:

• Race
• Religion
• Age
• Gender
• Disabilities

This protection applies as early as the hiring process, whether you decide to hire a candidate or not.

Workplace safety

Your employees have the right to stay safe and healthy while doing their job. Therefore, you must uphold workplace safety standards and provide appropriate protective equipment when necessary. You may also have to provide reasonable accommodations for your employees’ religion or health conditions.

As an employer, you must be aware of your employees’ rights. This way, you’ll understand how to create a safe workplace for them and avoid problems related to employment law.