Ideally, you’d never be in a position where suing your employer is necessary, but sometimes it will be.
If you’re thinking of taking the steps to sue your employer, there are some things to know beforehand. Just keep reading below to find out why you may want to sue, and what you need to know!
Reasons to Sue Your Employer
Of course, a lawsuit should never be your first option whenever you’re dissatisfied with your employer, but sometimes it can be necessary.
If you’ve faced discrimination at work, based on your race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sex, or disability, this is deemed illegal under the American Disabilities Act and the Civil Rights Act, so this may be grounds to sue.
Likewise, if you’ve suffered harassment at work, and the employer hasn’t taken sufficient action against it, this can also be a reason to sue. Other reasons to sue your employer can include workplace injuries and wrongful termination.
What You Should Do
Before suing your employer, it makes sense to speak to them. Be clear on your rights, and keep to the facts — consider writing the important points down beforehand and getting a close friend or relative to look through them with you.
Between you and your employer, try to come to an agreement as to the next steps, and then schedule a follow-up meeting a few weeks later to see what they’ve done to resolve the issue.
Continue to take notes on the issue too, times and dates of conversations or emails, to the names of the people involved — this can help you out further down the line.
How to Begin the Lawsuit
If you believe that you have a case, you should consult an attorney or employment law group — they’ll be able to help you decide if you do or not. Many attorneys will offer free consultations, so if there’s no case, you haven’t lost anything.
It’s also worth talking to other employees who may have gone through similar experiences to you, or at least witnessed things happening to you. Would they be willing to speak with your attorney too?
If you do decide that you want to go ahead and sue your employer, your attorney will be able to help you with compiling all additional information and filing the necessary paperwork.
What Should You Expect
Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that a lawsuit will go your way.
You should prepare for all outcomes. Perhaps your employer has experience with lawsuits and could find a legal loophole to terminate your contract before you take them to court.
Even if it does go to court and you win, will anything change? Again, there’s no guarantee — you may want to consider alternate employment.
Suing Your Employer
When it comes to suing your employer, there are no easy answers or solutions.
It’s a difficult situation for everybody involved, but sometimes it’s what you need to do — just consult an attorney to see what your next steps are likely to be, and take our advice on board too.
For more work advice, don’t forget to check out the rest of our posts.
