Employee rights: Know better so you can expect better

Employee rights are here to protect workers against any form of unfair treatment.

By knowing and understanding their employee rights, women and marginalized groups can recognize and protect themselves against unsupportive workplaces and, instead, identify workplaces where they can truly thrive.

What are workplace employee rights?

Employee rights are rules and regulations designed to ensure everyone is able to work in an environment free from discrimination.

This means that employees cannot be denied employment, harassed, demoted, terminated, paid less, or treated less favorably because of their;

  • race or religion;
  • physical features, such as the color of their skin or texture of their hair;
  • sex or sexual orientation;
  • gender identity;
  • national origin;
  • physical or neurological disability;
  • status as a protected veteran;
  • any other protected characteristic

Which employee rights should I know about?

Employee rights vary depending on factors such as location, time served at a company, and employment status. Knowing these seven key rights is a great place to start:

Maximum weekly hours

Minimum pay rates

Parental leave

Sick leave

Carer’s leave

Penalty rates, allowances and overtime

Notice of termination

Employee rights where you are

An employee’s rights are informed by a number of factors. While some are legal rights that apply to all employees, others are unique to the individual agreement and employment contract between employee and employer.

So to understand an employee’s rights, it’s best to start exploring the rights in your specific location.

Disclaimer:
The information on this page has been compiled on the basis of general information current at the time of publication. 
Please note that the contents of webpage and any information provided by WORK180 do not constitute legal advice and are not intended to be a substitute for legal or other professional advice and should not be relied upon as such.

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