What is a employment lawyer?

Employment lawyers give guidance focussing on the legal arrangement between a business and its employees. Employment law covers a broad range of legal areas which often includes the original creation or review of both employment and contractor agreements. Besides this, employment lawyers also deal with issues surrounding workplace relationships including workplace health and safety, employment policies and disputes relating to dismissal.

Employment lawyers are able to advise both employees and employers with their rights and obligations to an agreement. Where there is a workplace dispute or issues regarding industry compliance, engaging with an employment lawyer will benefit any business. They are also experts in advising parties to workplace investigations, workplace discrimination and bullying as well as disputes with employees that have breached confidentiality.

What can an employment lawyer do for me?

If you are managing a business or are an employee, an employment lawyer will advise you regarding your rights and obligations to the employment agreement. This can be particularly helpful if you are involved in a dispute relating to an unfair dismissal, pay or general workplace disagreement. An employment lawyer can create and review both employment and contractor agreements along with any required workplace policies and procedures.

5 tips when hiring a employment lawyer

Once you have decided an employment lawyer will be right for the job, consider these tips before consulting with a lawyer:

1. Determine what it is you require, if it is an employment contract, are there any specific terms you want to include? If you are involved in a dispute, determine the outcome you desire and make sure your lawyer knows this.
2. If you need an employment agreement, it might be worth preparing one online with LawPath and getting a lawyer to review it for a fixed price. This will help to reduce costs.
3. Read up on the lawyer you choose, consider who they usually represent. There may also be benefits of having a lawyer with specific experience in different areas.
4. Read the retainer your lawyer provides. This will inform you of the obligations held by both you and your lawyer, it should also outline the likely costs involved.
5. Prepare your evidence, if you are involved in a dispute, an employment lawyer will need a detailed and accurate timeline of the dispute with all relevant evidence.