Everything You Have To Know About Employment Lawyers

An employment lawyer refers to someone who works with their clients regarding work or employment, helping them or representing them in legal issues related to the client’s occupation. An Employment lawyer in Sydney and Victoria is usually the best in class. They are social justice warriors keen on defending employees’ rights in the workspace. In Australia, these lawyers work as both solicitors and barristers, with only a few adept in both. Every lawyer is specialized in either one kind of work and usually represents a non-unionised workforce. Unlike the labor lawyers in the country, an employment lawyer in Sydney helps protect the rights of all employers as well as employees working under Australia’s employment law. As of 2018, Australia had more than 76,000 solicitors practicing the profession, with the highest number concentrated in New South Wales. 

What Do Employment Lawyers Do? 

In most cases, these lawyers act as representatives for their clients in legal work matters that usually involve negotiation with the employer. Job termination of the employee is one of the most common issues they deal with and look into various categories of human rights, severance, reasons for termination and contract agreements. Being a solicitor is also common, reviewing agreements, contracts, deals, employment offers and plans for insurance or benefits. Employment lawyer Sydney based will work on any of these issues depending upon the situation or if the case demands. Some of the main tasks they deal with everyday include: 

• Consultations with terminated employees 
• Drafting demand letters 
• Attending investigations and representing clients in tribunals.
• Justify grounds for fair pay or more severance. 
• Getting in touch with the Ministry of Labour.
• Reviewing termination clauses for contracts and agreements.
• Negotiating a fair agreement to a situation. 
• Writing a Statement of Claim for their client. 

When Should An Employee or An Employer Hire The Help Of An Employment Lawyer?

There are hundreds of instances in a client’s professional time that may require the help of an employment lawyer. Take a look at them below: 

As an employee:

1. When the client has faced harassment at work. 
2. When the client was treated unfairly or was discriminated against. 
3. When the employer threatens to harm the career of the employee when demanding higher pay or a promotion. 
4. When the employer doesn’t provide overtime pay which the employee is legally entitled to.
5. When the job or contract was violated under unlawful agreements. 
6. When the employee doesn’t receive the deserved benefits or severance granted by the contract or agreement.

As an employer:

1. When they need legal representation when bargaining with the union.
2. When a discrimination case has been filed against the employer. 
3. When the employer decides to do a mass layoff or nullify some of the benefits of the employee due to misconduct.  
4. When a lawsuit gets filed against the employer by an employee.

Employment Lawyers usually have an hourly rate for their work, especially for cases that involve long proceedings and negotiations. In case of lawsuits demanding fair compensation for harassment or unlawful termination, the lawyer may ask for a small percentage as contingency fees from the employee. For small cases such as reviewing agreements and protecting employment rights through a single sitting, a flat fee is charged as a single payment. 

Things To Consider When Hiring Employment Lawyers:

• Do proper research into the matter before jumping into the process of hiring a lawyer. There are instances when one might need the service of only the barrister, and in other cases, employees might require the services of both barristers and solicitors.
• Explain the problem faced in brief and clear any doubt in the lawyer’s mind. 
• Ask about the price, chances of success and the lawyer’s experience.