Lawyers are not exactly something that people are unfamiliar with. From pop culture to the news, they are practically omnipresent in the media that we consume. All of that being said, though, you might be surprised by how many of us do not really know what they do. This is especially true when we start to get more specific in terms of the different types of law that they practice.
Today, I want to focus on employment lawyers, since I think that they are a type that is rarely highlighted. Divorce lawyers and business lawyers tend to get a lot of the press! However, these ones are behind the scenes helping people get justice against unfair employers. They are certainly worth discussing, that is for sure.
What Does the “Employment” Part Mean?
The first thing that we should establish here is that this category is inherently broad. You can get some further information on that here: https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/employment. Just keep in mind that several subcategories exist under this umbrella, so I will do my best to cover all of them. Each is arguably just as important as the next, after all.
Unemployment Compensation Issues
I think this is an aspect of this that hits a lot closer to home for many of us following the covid 19 pandemic than it did before. Many people across the world were laid off or otherwise lost their jobs due to this tragic event. While some of us have managed to put our lives back together, for others, it has been a lot more difficult.
Something that really did not help was how hard it was to sign up for unemployment compensation. Did you know how many laws there are surrounding this? It probably is not a huge surprise, but that does not make it any less frustrating.
Perhaps that is why professionals are here to help in regard to this problem. While it is difficult for us to sort through a website like this one, they already have the knowledge required to help out. That is why we often rely on them, right?
Pensions
Retirement. It is something that is on a lot of our minds, and that is for good reason. Making financial plans for our lives post-employment is a critical part of getting older, and it is unfortunate that sometimes it can be quite a
challenge. There are even cases when we do not get the fair compensation that we are owed.
This can be a problem due to how pensions work. You see, they are provided by employers, so when there are issues there, sometimes it can be hard to sort out. This is even more true when a company that owes someone a pension ends up going under.
Of course, that can really make for a sticky situation. The retiree still needs to have something to rely on, after all. So, what happens? Well – often that will depend on what an employment lawyer works out for their client. If you are experiencing something like this, you may want to get a consultation at the least.
Discrimination Cases
As you can imagine, this is where the real meat and potatoes of their cases come from. It is probably the hardest topic to tackle too, however. That is due to the sensitive nature of a lot of this. After all, discrimination affects certain groups disproportionately. So, having these discussions can be a bit painful.
That does not mean they are not necessary, though. In fact, I would argue this makes them even more critical. Sure, employment lawyers can help to solve these problems after they happen. However, I like to think that the end goal is eliminating it altogether. Of course, that is a bit of a pipe dream.
Considering that, let us go ahead and discuss what can be considered discrimination. There are a few pages like this one from certain government agencies. Perhaps the biggest one to know is the United States Equal Opportunity Commission. I recommend being familiar with that one if you are employed anywhere, really.
Perhaps one of the most insidious forms of this comes in microaggressions. They are subtle at times, and sometimes the perpetrators are not even wholly cognizant of them. However, there are still laws against these discriminatory practices, particularly when it becomes disruptive for an employee being able to complete their tasks.
In general, I would say these are the most important things that employment lawyers tackle. Of course, all of them are still vital. However, helping to protect people, especially marginalized groups, is certainly a noble calling.
Why They Matter
Hopefully, this has already been imparted to you in the previous sections. However, I do think that it is worth making note of it again, considering how little press this part of the law gets. Obviously, one of the biggest aspects of this is helping people who have experienced discrimination get justice for what has occurred.
Of course, this means that it is important to work that often goes unappreciated. Sure, there are some articles written about it like this one: https://www.ncsl.org/research/labor-and-employment/employment-discrimination.aspx. However, I do hope that eventually, more will be out there. It is not just high-profile cases that we should worry about, after all.
Pension and unemployment compensation should matter just as much, really. They are critical and everyone deserves proper payment, whether they are fired or laid off or if a company is unable to keep itself afloat. That should not jeopardize anyone’s future.
As I said, this has definitely come into the public eye more in the past few years. Hopefully, though, this has helped shed further light on it. If you are still feeling unsure, make sure that you check out a few of the resources that I have provided today.
Remember that if you are experiencing these problems yourself, you do have support and someone to turn to. Trained professionals are ready to support you in your endeavors and help you get the compensation you are deserved.
