Both Michigan and U.S. federal employment laws require employers to provide their workers with certain rights and privileges to protect their well-being and safety. These rights include protections against discrimination, wage protections, and contract rights, in addition to others.
When an employee’s legal rights are violated by an employer, that employee can and should seek the assistance of an attorney. Our team of Michigan employment law attorneys at Fieger Law has been representing Michigan workers for decades by working hard to ensure their rights are protected.
In this post, we’ll outline some of the rights that every Michigan employer owes to their employees, so you can be sure that your rights are not being violated.
What Are Employee Rights?
One of the defining characteristics of our country is that every individual has the right to work for an honest living. In defense of that idea, the law has evolved to place safeguards on the rights of employees to ensure that employers treat employees with fairness, dignity, and respect. If these laws are violated, an employee may have the ability to seek recourse through legal action with the assistance of a Michigan employment lawyer.
In some cases, an employee can seek a court order directing their employer to take certain action, such as reinstating the employee’s position after being terminated unlawfully. In other cases, an employee can seek monetary damages as compensation for the wrongs that were committed against them. At Fieger Law, we’ve won more million-dollar verdicts than any other law firm in the U.S., and we are committed to fighting for our clients’ rights to the fullest extent possible.
Michigan and Federal Employee Rights Laws
Some examples of federal laws that protect employee rights include the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Michigan state law also protects employee rights, and those laws include the Michigan Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA). Legal causes of action can be brought under any number of these statutes by an employment law attorney in Michigan. But what specific rights do these laws actually protect?
The Right to Avoid Discrimination and Harassment
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the ADEA, and the ELCRA state that employees have the right to work in an environment that is free from discrimination and harassment. Sometimes, discrimination and harassment are obvious, such as racist or sexist remarks. In other cases, discrimination may be more subtle, such as being passed up for a promotion or being held to different standards than other employees.
By requesting a consultation with one of our employment law attorneys, Michigan residents can determine whether their employer’s actions may be against the law. Types of discrimination and harassment prohibited by law include the following:
- Age, either being old or young
- Sex and sexual orientation
- Race, national origin, or ethnicity
- Height or weight
- Familial or marital status
- Religion or creed
According to an article published by the Michigan Bar Association, Michigan employees have a “comprehensive scope of remedies” against discrimination and harassment in the workplace. The attorneys at Fieger Law are ready to assist you in asserting these remedies and ensuring your rights are protected.
The Right to Receive Fair and Accurate Pay
The minimum wage is perhaps the most well-known wage protection law, but many workers may not know that the law goes much further than simply providing a minimum wage. Under the FLSA and other statutes, the law states that workers are entitled to receive pay that is accurately calculated, including overtime.
Wage theft is unfortunately a common occurrence in Michigan and across the country. When an employer does not pay a worker all of the wages they are entitled to receive, theft has occurred, and that worker should seek legal assistance. Some of the most common situations in which wage protection rights are violated include the following:
- Failure to provide overtime pay
- Inaccurate hours or time clock “docking”
- Improper withholding of tip income
- Failure to pay workers for all time worked
If your right to receive fair and accurate pay has been violated by an employer, you should seek the assistance of an attorney as soon as possible. At Fieger Law, we believe that workers deserve to be paid for the time they spend working, and we’re eager to hold employers accountable for stealing their employees’ hard-earned money.
Contact a Michigan Employment Law Attorney Today
Protecting and defending the rights of Michigan employees is one of our top priorities at Fieger Law. When employers do not fulfill their legal obligations to their employees, those employees have a right to seek recourse. Whether an employee is facing discrimination, unpaid wages, wrongful termination, or any other type of employment law issue, Fieger Law is ready to help.
Our experience in winning cases for our clients sets us apart from other law firms. While our track record cannot guarantee success in your case, we can guarantee that you’re working with an experienced team of attorneys. If we’re able to take on your case, we will seek any and all remedies that the law may provide to you.
Contact us today to set up a free consultation with a member of our team
