Formal contracts of employment are legally binding documents which establish a written agreement between you and your employer. If any of the terms of that contract are not fulfilled, then it is considered a breach of contract.
Common breaches of contract that you could be able to claim compensation for include, but are not limited to, the following:
- A non-payment of wages
- A non-payment of holiday or sick pay that was negotiated in your contract
- Travel expenses owed
- Changes to the terms and conditions of your contract that you didn’t sign off on
Before you can take legal action against your employer, check the hard copy over and make absolutely sure the breach occurred. There could be clauses written in “legalese” that you may not to be able to decipher, so you may need to hire an attorney or ask a friend in the legal profession for assistance.
If you have an agreement with your employer that has been broken, the following are several courses of action you can take:
- Settle the matter with your employer – First, you should take the issue to your employer and attempt to sort it out face-to-face. For instance, if the dispute is unpaid overtime, it could be a misunderstanding between management and payroll—as opposed to an actual wage and hour dispute. See if your employer can remedy the situation.
- Speak with the human resources department – Your HR representative was most likely involved in the coordination of the agreement. Bring a copy of your employment contract and documentation on how and when the contract was breached.
- Contact a mediator – If HR is unable to resolve the issue to your liking, have a lawyer review the entire hard copy of your documentation. Once you review the fine points of your contract with a legal professional, you have the option of hiring a mediator who can help you negotiate a soft resolution to the conflict.
- Retain legal counsel – If you and your employer have not been able to come to terms, an employment attorney can help. However, commencing legal proceedings against your employer is time-consuming and costly. It is wise to get a complete understanding of the financial and emotional costs involved with litigation.
The standard remedy for breach of contract is monetary damages. In some circumstances, you may be able to receive an injunction which stops your employer from terminating your employment.
For more information, contact our Hartford employment law attorney at Zayas Law Firm for more information today.