Employment Law (Pennsylvania)
Our jobs are a huge part of our identities, and most of us spend more of our waking hours with colleagues and in the workplace than we do at home with families and partners. This is why any sort of breach of Pennsylvania employment law feels like such a horrible experience. Whether we believe we were the victim of discrimination, wrongful termination, harassment, or cheated of worker’s compensation claims, legal matters associated with our jobs becomes an extremely emotional matter.
This is one of the primary reasons that no one involved in any sort of labor related dispute should ever go it alone. Instead, one of the first steps to take when you feel that you have a Pennsylvania employment law matter is to get in touch with an experienced attorney.
Consider the Complexities
While you might think that a small matter at work does not warrant legal advice, you do need to realize that the laws around employment in the state can be extremely complex and confusing.
There are the many different state laws that apply to specific issues and there are also federal laws at work too. You may be within a protected group (such as someone in a labor union or someone who is working as a whistleblower), you might be entitled to damages because of an injury at work, and you may have been fired for reasons that are illegal and unfair. In any of these examples, you do have a legal case but you might also not know where to turn to make a complaint.
After all, is it a matter of Pennsylvania employment law or is it a federal employment issue? Should you contact a federal agency like OSHA, or is it a state matter? How do you protect yourself and your interests? Just consider that you may feel you have a valid complaint or concern only to discover after speaking with an attorney that you have no legal basis at all. Why risk the loss of your job if you are in error?
What if you have already lost your job? If you feel that you are the victim of wrongful termination, you have the right to collect damages. However, as with so many other legal matters, you are the one who must prove your case in court. You have to be able to demonstrate that you were terminated for illegal reasons, and that can be very challenging without expert help.
Working With Experts
If you are struggling with some sort of employment related issue and you feel that your employer has handled you in a way that is unfair or unethical, you do need to follow through. Though “at will” employment states like Pennsylvania may not provide you with the kind of legal position to build a case, you may still have a valid claim. No one can be fired for just any reason, and if you were terminated because of your religion, gender, sexual preference, because of a disability, because you were pregnant, or various other reasons, you may be able to seek compensation.
Do you need to know if you should pursue a legal case against your employer? Get in touch with Heavens Law. The firm has a long history of working with individuals who file wrongful termination complaints and who seek damages when employment laws at the state or federal levels have been violated. You are unlikely to be able to build a claim without legal expertise on your side. Whether you want to pursue a discrimination case through the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or you want to receive compensation from an injury on the job, you will find the kind of skilled legal advice you need with this agency.
Source
- Cornell.edu. Employment Law. 2014. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/employment
