You’re good to your employees, right? You give them a place to work, a weekly wage, and possibly even a break room too. Why on earth then would they consider suing you?
There are actually a number of reasons why, and this could be catastrophic to your business. You will take a hit financially when you have to pay compensation if you are found guilty, and because your reputation will suffer, you might also lose customers and clients. Ouch!
Here are some of the reasons why your employees might sue you.
#1: You Owe Your Employees Money
Have you ever made late payments to your employees? Have you asked them to work overtime without paying them for doing so? Do you expect your employees to attend work-based training courses in their own time? Are you paying your employees less than the minimum wage? If you have answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, then you may be guilty of wage theft, and you may fall foul of the ‘unpaid wages law.’ You can find out more by visiting this law firm’s page on the subject, Turley Law Firm wage theft representation. You might also expect to hear from them if you are guilty of breaking any of the laws within, whether you realized your errors or not!
#2: Your Employees Are Injured at Work
How safe is your place of work? If your employees’ personal safety is compromised, you may fall foul of a personal injury claim if you haven’t taken preventative measures to protect them. This includes carrying out risk assessments to determine potential dangers and putting protocols in place to alleviate any risks. So, you should give your employees the correct safety gear if they are working in any hazardous areas, for example, and you should give them the correct training, so they know how to use potentially dangerous equipment. And even if they’re working in an office space, where you might assume risk is minimal, there are still injury risks, such as trips and falls if there are lots of loose wires, and repetitive strain injury if your employees are sitting for long periods of time. Check the previous link for more, and then consider your workplace. If there are any risks of injury, you need to take steps to manage them.
#3: There Are Instances of Bullying and Harassment
When an employee comes to you with reports of being bullied or harassed at work, you need to take action. This includes dealing with the reported person according to your policies, giving them the necessary warnings to desist their harmful behavior, or in serious cases, removing the toxic employee from your business. If you don’t, you might find yourself in front of an employment tribunal, or even in court due to a workplace compensation claim. Bullying and harassment should not be tolerated, so address any issues when they are brought to you, and draw up policies that forbid any kind of threatening behaviors.
Finally
You expect the best from your employees, and they expect the best of you. Protect their best interests then, be a good employer, and find out more about employment laws to ensure you don’t face a costly fine or compensation claim. Both your business and your employees depend on you doing the right thing.
Thanks for reading.
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