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5 Things Your Boss Cannot Legally Do

When it comes to rules and regulations, no one is above the law, including your boss. While the laws safeguard an employee’s rights, the country’s laws also prohibit employers from unfair practices at the workplace. If you feel like your rights have been violated at your workplace, you might want to check in with a Toronto employment lawyer and get their opinion on the matter.

It is important to mention that employment laws are usually complicated, and often, potential employers don’t violate the rights of their employees intentionally. Often, workplace discriminations happen because employers fail to comprehend their legal obligations and do things unintentionally. 

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you were wondering about the legality of your boss’s actions? If the answer is yes, then you are not alone. There are different ways your employer might be violating your rights. For instance, they might ask you taboo questions on job applications. 

Here are a few things your boss cannot legally do: 

Your Boss Cannot Forbid You From Discussing Your Salary.

You might have already experienced it before: your boss might prohibit you from discussing your salary with your colleagues. However, your boss isn’t legally allowed to prohibit you from discussing your pay package with your co-workers. Understandably, your boss wouldn’t want you to discuss your pay package as it can raise crucial issues, such as wage and gender equality. Nonetheless, you ought to know that no law prohibits you from discussing your wage with your co-workers. 

Making Fake Promises

The number one mistake that employers make while hiring unpaid interns is guaranteeing a job by the end of the internship. The consequences of such a promise can be severe. For instance, the employer can be viewed as a fraudulent individual running an unpaid training period for the potential internee. 

Ask You to Work outside the Office Hours

Another potential mistake that your boss might be making without knowing is by asking their employees to work off the clock. According to the laws of the state, a potential employer cannot ask their employees to work after or before official work hours. 

That said, potential employers should also be cautious about cash being offered for any off-the-clock task. If the employees comply with the requests but fail to get due compensation, the employer can land into serious legal troubles as it would officially mean that they have failed to keep payroll taxes. 

Taking Actions against Complaining Personnel

It is illegal for employers to retaliate against the employees who have complained against them to the police or the government. If the employers retaliate against the complaining personnel, it is often in terms of expressing their anger and resentment, which makes it more illegal.

Besides, sometimes employers play the illegal strategy of filing numerous complaints against an employee before terminating them altogether. If the complaints are authentic, then the termination isn’t illegal; however, if the complaints are baseless, then the termination indicates the poor code of conduct on the employer’s behalf. 

Using Social Media to Complain Against Employees

Sometimes employers make the mistake of turning to social media for criticizing and complaining against their employee’s work. While employees should also be careful about posting work-related issues on social media, employers cannot discharge an employee based on their social media post until gross misconduct is witnessed, such as harassment and false statements. 

Final Thoughts

While an employee has to stay within legal boundaries while working within office hours, employers need to move with caution to promote a safe, equal, and healthy work environment where everyone is treated rightfully. 

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