Finding the right job can be a challenging thing to accomplish. When one finally does, signing an employment contract without reading it may result in one giving up his or her rights to pursue legal options in order to resolve employment disputes. How is this possible and what can Michigan residents do about it?
Everyone is guaranteed their day in court, right? Wrong. If a person signs an employment contract that includes an arbitration agreement, he or she is giving away that right. Why would anyone do that?
The truth of the matter is, there are those who do not read employment contracts in their entirety and are unaware of included arbitration agreements, those who do not want to pass up job opportunities so they sign anyway and those who may not fully understand the consequences of agreeing to arbitration. While arbitration can have its benefits, like time and money savings, it also comes with the inability to appeal an arbitrator’s decision. Do all the benefits of arbitration outweigh that glaring negative?
Arbitration agreements are fairly standard in employment contracts and have been for roughly 15 years. Employers include these to help protect themselves from costly litigation when employment disputes arise, which is understandable. However, employees should be offered some protections as well. Before signing one’s life away, a Michigan resident can seek legal assistance from an experienced employment law attorney in order to have an employment contract reviewed and new terms negotiated in order to make sure that all applicable rights are fully protected and one’s best interests are served.
Source: FindLaw, “Employment Arbitration Agreements“, Accessed on July 13, 2017