Bringing a legal case against your employer isn’t a pleasant journey. However, it is made easier with some preparation, determination, and a legal team that understands your suffering.
Understand your legal rights first
First and foremost, you must understand your rights. No matter the case you bring, there are laws that your employer must have in place.
For example, you can hire attorneys for issues such as unfair dismissal. Or you can hire a traumatic brain injury lawyer for any trauma that profoundly impacts your speech, memory, or other brain functions. Your lawyers are knowledgeable and will advise the best actions for the given situation based on years of experience.
Gather all relevant evidence
Your case will almost always depend heavily on evidence to increase the chances of a successful outcome. If there is no evidence you can present, your employer will move to have the case dismissed entirely.
Fortunately, it’s easy to gather evidence that will help your legal team. For instance, you can collect social media posts, emails, and recorded or phone conversations to demonstrate workplace bullying. Copies of contracts and written communication are also helpful documents to bring to the legal team.
The mental side of a legal case against your employer
Any legal case is a draining process that can affect your mental health before, during, and after proceedings. Therefore, you should be aware of the following common problems:
- Be prepared for sensitive information being released into the public domain.
- There could be a large financial burden that affects you mentally.
- Social and workplace isolation isn’t uncommon in employer/employee legal disputes.
Personal information can come to light at a trial. Intimate emails, for example, could become evidence of a contractually illegal interoffice affair. For which you were fired for breaking.
Refrain from talking to others
Your lawyer should advise you of this as a matter of course. But one of the worst things you can do is talk openly about your case and any proceedings.
Anything you say can be used against you. New reports, for example, will often refer to statements out of context. And these can hurt your case.
Also, try to refrain from speaking to friends, family, and colleagues about your legal case. They, too, could talk to reporters or others where information is distorted.
Prepare for a long and arduous process
A legal case against anyone is a long and arduous process. That’s the reality.
You need evidence, witnesses, and fact verification. And all this takes time. For example, an employment tribunal case takes around 335 days to complete from start to finish. That’s almost a year of your life that will come under severe stress.
Your legal team can help you with anything to do with your case. Gather emotional and mental support from friends, family, and mental health professionals to keep your head clear.
Summary of bringing a legal case against the employer
It’s often a hard decision to bring a legal case against your employer. But often, it’s necessary.
You must first know your rights. Then prepare for a long process that takes its toll mentally to try to achieve the deserved outcome.