“Arbitration” is a means by which parties attempt to resolve a dispute without going to court. Often times, arbitration is quicker, cheaper, and more efficient than proceeding with a lawsuit. A tool long used to resolve disputes between sophisticated, commercial entities, employers are increasingly unleashing it on unsuspecting employees in order to steer clear of the court room and avoid class action lawsuits. Employers are achieving this by requiring employees, including those applying for employment, to sign arbitration agreements which “force” them to arbitrate most employment-related claims. Because of the disparity in power between the employer and employee, employees have little to no option but to sign the arbitration agreement. Unfortunately, in addition to foregoing the right to bring a lawsuit in a court of law, employees are typically also forced to waive their right to band together as part of a “class” action. The result is that employers face little to no recourse over their illegal wage practices, and employees are deprived of their ability to bring a class action lawsuit with other similarly affected individuals. Forced arbitration is a significant win-win for employers.
We at Conway Legal are all too familiar with the pitfalls associated with forced arbitration agreements. Before you sign on the dotted line, call us. We offer a no-fee consultation. Failing that, we’ve arbitrated a number of cases. Even when the odds are stacked against us, we win. That’s the Conway Legal difference.