Article Source: HKM Employment Attorneys
It’s hard to think of a time when things have changed in the workplace in such a dramatic fashion in such a short space of time. 2020 brought the covid-19 pandemic, which resulted in a dramatic shift to work from home and remote work. Then 2023 brought the quiet revolution of AI, allowing companies to replace simple task workers with automated workflows.
Even the industrial revolution wasn’t as quick and merciless as the rate of change happening in 2025.
With this changing landscape comes a lot of new questions about workers’ rights. Is a person being replaced by a machine without compensation being wrongfully dismissed? Is harassment still as potent an issue for remote workers? All of these questions are being skillfully tackled by employment law firms like HKM – who are working on behalf of workers all across the country.
The New Frontiers of Legal Practice
Over the past couple of decades, the landscape of employment law has expanded and become much more nuanced. Of course, disputes of wages, discrimination and harassment are still central to this area of law. But advances in employment practices have created whole new areas requiring expertise.
The gig economy for example, these workers that are solely used by one company but are classed as self-employed contractors. Think of Uber for example – how does employment law and employee rights apply to these drivers? It’s something that courts across the country are having to contend with and redefine exactly what an employee is.
It makes for a situation where both the worker and the company are not entirely clear on what rights are applicable.
Economic Pressure and the Fallout for the Job Market
Workers’ rights and economic conditions often go hand in hand. When the economy takes a downturn, companies look to cut costs and often the first area inspected for cuts is manpower.
When layoffs start becoming more common, you can bet that there will be a lot of unfair dismissals mixed in with more legitimate redundancies.
Often this leaves workers devastated and feeling like they are powerless and unable to dispute things. However, that’s rarely the case – there is often a way to get a quick resolution and settlement without the costly legal fees involved in going to court.
