LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — As an employee, you have the right to a safe and healthy work place, but it can be difficult to understand what your rights are.
When you're entering a new job or dealing with a disability that requires a little more communication you should know how to fight for it.
"There's just so many laws to navigate, so many organizations and I feel bad sometimes when we can't help people," explained Raymond Sexton who is the executive director for Lexington Human Rights Commission.
Sexton hosted a workers right workshop at the Lexington Public Library Monday afternoon to help educate people about proper pay, what discrimination looks like in the workplace and what their rights truly are.
"We like to facilitate communication between employer and employee. So what can accommodation look like, what stigma can we squash or really what is the best fit for an employer and employee both," explained Brandalin Foster, who works with Opportunity for Work and Learning.
Organizations like Equal Employment Opportunity Commission are around to protect employee rights. Some laws enforced by the EEOC are the Age Discrimination Employment Act, Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and Americans with Disabilities Act.
Some laws now covered by the EEOC are Independent contractors, private membership clubs, Native American/Indian tribes and a public international organization.
"We're here to help the workers, we're here to help the employers as well so I think that's a big take away is there's a lot of expertise in these organizations. And people shouldn't hesitate to contact us if things go wrong," explained Sexton.
