Employee Legal Awareness Day was established by an Australian lawyer, Paul Brennan. His aim was to emphasise the importance of legal education for employees and small businesses and reduce their risk of legal problems. The day isn’t only about laws though, Brennan also suggests that employees should increase their awareness of their company’s policies. According to him, it is important for employees to have a copy of the employer’s handbook, where you can find information about bereavement policy, attendance and punctuality, conflict of interest statements and non-disclosure agreements.
So, every year employees can get together on this day to celebrate and remember their legal rights, they can feel empowered by their knowledge and participate fully in the legal system that supports them and their business. Although it originated in Australia, this day can be celebrated in offices all over the world, everywhere that people are free to access legal services and their legal rights this day can be openly recognised. In countries with less legal freedom, perhaps the day could be marked by employee demonstrations in the streets or other protests to try and highlight the importance of legal awareness and legal practices in relation to employees and businesses.
