Human Rights Day

December is perceived as Christmas month. However, there are more events that should have our attention. On 10th December we celebrate Human Rights Day. It commemorates the day in 1948 when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted. Even though we live in a postmodern society where things like freedom, education, healthcare, and equality are mostly taken for granted, there are areas, societies and environments where people still have to fight for it. And then there are human rights we have and that are often forgotten, rules that are bent and broken everywhere around the world. In this article, I would like to highlight a few of the rights you should have in your workplace that is sometimes misinterpreted or ignored.

Your rights in a workplace

Nowadays, everything needs to be done as fast as possible and yet it has to be perfect. The pressure in some workplaces is enormous. Employees are stressed, burnt out and once they become less effective, they’re fired and left unemployed. It’s hard to believe that in a time when mental health awareness is rising, there are still some companies that ignore the rights of their employees, just to have the tasks done.

You have a right to take a break

These employees then often work overtime without extra reward, they don’t have breaks and their mistakes are highlighted more than their success. If this describes your situation at work, please reconsider if this job is really worth it and think about how you could change your situation to feel better. Keep in mind, you have a right to take a break, remember that there are sick days, vacation days and don’t put your mental and physical health at risk. Toxic work environment is really dangerous and could be really harmful. If there is no way to make the conditions better, sometimes it’s best to quit that job.

You have a right to be treated with respect

Sometimes the problem in the work environment isn’t about the tasks and amount of work but about the colleagues. Keep in mind that you have a right to be treated with respect and that it’s not okay to be harmed by your co-workers or your boss. In previous articles on VOS blog, we described bullying in a workplace. If you feel something is not right or you're directly attacked in any way, please take action to solve your situation.

You have a right to get a fair reward for your job

Unfortunately, there are still some employers who ignore the law about minimum wage. They pay their employees much less money for hard work and long hours. This often happens when people work without a contract, illegally. However, there is always a way to make it okay on papers and not okay in reality. Unfairly rewarded doesn’t always mean to get less than minimum wage. Sometimes the salary just doesn't correspond with your education, skills, experiences and the difficulty of your job. That’s also not okay. If you’re looking for a job, try to set your own conditions before. Ask yourself what is the minimum salary you’re willing to work for? What conditions need to be fulfilled for you to be satisfied at work? When you answer these questions don’t forget to consider your situation in life, your experiences, education, possible limitations…

I hope you find this article useful and I wish you to be happy in your workplace environment! If that’s not the case, please keep in mind that you can seek professional help.