Emp-LawYee :

Employment law is an essential aspect of any working society. It governs the relationship between employers and employees, outlining what each party can expect from the other. In Sri Lanka, both the private and state sectors engage, and there are robust laws in place to protect workers and employers. Emp-LawYee, an initiative by the Rotaract club of IIT, aims to educate current employees on their rights and the laws that govern their actions to reduce employee dissatisfaction.

One of the critical objectives of Emp-LawYee is to help employees identify the seven most common types of workplace harassment and how to react to them. Sadly, employees are often not aware of the laws that protect them from harm in the workplace, leading to dissatisfaction. This lack of knowledge is a critical factor that contributes to employees’ frustration with their jobs. Emp-LawYee’s goal is to provide employees with a clear understanding of the laws that govern them and how to utilize them.

The initiative took place in two phases, with the first being a two-week PR campaign. This campaign consisted of educational content on the fourteen basic labor laws summarized to fit the understanding of the general public. The second phase was a hybrid event conducted by lawyers who educated a large number of employees through both webinars and physical sessions. Additionally, an eBook containing the labor laws and regulations was released, written by an experienced lawyer. The handbook covers a vast list of labor laws and provides a short description of what they are.

Emp-LawYee emphasized the necessity and importance of labor laws, which impact different aspects of an organization or firm, such as employee-employer relations, minimizing industrial disputes, protecting workers from exploitation, ensuring fair wages, minimizing labor unrest, reducing conflicts and strikes, ensuring job security for workers, promoting favorable environmental conditions in the industrial system, fixing rest pauses and work hours, and providing compensation to workers who were victims of accidents.

The project spread awareness under nine broad headings: employment, individual employment relationships, wages and remuneration, conditions of work, health, safety, and welfare, social security, trade unions and industrial relations, and the administration of labor law. Each of these areas plays a critical role in protecting employees and employers and ensuring a healthy and fair work environment.

Employment laws are designed to protect both workers and employers in their dealings with each other and their employment contracts. They provide guidelines for what employers can ask of employees and what employees can expect from employers. The laws also ensure that workers are not exploited and have a safe and fair work environment. Understanding these laws is essential for employees to protect their rights and for employers to ensure compliance with regulations.

The project’s PR campaign and events aimed to educate a vast number of employees on these laws and regulations. By doing so, Emp-LawYee helped to reduce employee dissatisfaction and promote a fair and safe work environment. Employees who understand their rights and the laws that protect them are more likely to be satisfied with their jobs and work effectively.

Overall, Emp-LawYee was a successful initiative that helped to educate a vast number of employees on their rights and the laws that protect them. By spreading awareness of labor laws and regulations, the project aimed to reduce employee dissatisfaction and promote a fair and safe work environment. The campaign and events held by Emp-LawYee demonstrated the importance of labor laws and how they impact both employees and employers. The project’s success emphasizes the necessity of continuing initiatives like Emp-LawYee to ensure that employees and employers are aware of their rights and the laws that govern them.