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Why You Need Legal Transcription Outsourcing for Labor Lawsuits

Author: Julie Clements
by Julie Clements
Posted: May 19, 2015

Labor lawsuits are among the most common cases handled by law firms. These lawsuits are some of the legal hurdles most feared by organizations and to deal with them a firm understanding of the labor regulations is vital. Lawyers handling such cases will find legal transcription outsourcing a great support.

Legal Transcription Outsourcing is Essential

Legal documents are very important for attorneys of labor disputes since recorded testimonial hearings, courtroom hearings, etc. by the plaintiff must be transcribed and seen by the defendant to fight the lawsuit in a stronger manner. Employees often base their accusations on recordings of meetings or conversations in their workplace. Video recordings need to therefore be monitored to know whether the employee really has a point. These and other evidence documents must be transcribed so they can be used better by the legal department of the company and presented in court.

However, transcription is a time consuming job for legal departments, and intense job pressure could result in errors if it is to be done in-house. Hiring or setting apart staff for transcription can be expensive, which is why outsourcing to a legal transcription company can help.

A Labor Lawsuit Example

In a recent labor lawsuit in California, Port of Los Angeles workers charged a distribution company for allegedly owing them wages amounting to millions of dollars. The point of argument by the workers is that the company has leased land from Los Angeles and is therefore required to pay them a "living wage" and not the minimum wage, being subject to the city’s Living Wage Ordinance. The ordinance rules that workers functioning under some license agreements need to be paid a minimum of$11.03 per hour if they are receiving medical benefits and $12.28 per hour in the absence of medical benefits. They are also entitled to 12 paid off days each year.

According to the workers’ complaint though, they are being paid only up to $10.20 per hour without health benefits and with only four paid off days each year. In addition, they have also alleged that they don’t get paid on the days they are sent home even after reporting for work. They also charge irregularities in overtime payments during long shifts.

Los Angeles blames low pay for the lack of quantity and quality of services as well as absenteeism and poor performance. The Living Wage Ordinance was designed to counter this, and is also binding for subcontractors, which makes this lawsuit a pretty serious one that could expand to involve over 500 workers with unpaid wages amounting to millions of dollars. If found guilty, the defendant would have to pay back the lost wages to employees plus damages and attorney’s fees.

Another Labor Lawsuit with Massive Damages

In a previous labor lawsuit in California, the defendant organization was blamed by the plaintiff, the company’s former employee, for practicing gender discrimination against her and demoting her on becoming pregnant. The jury awarded her compensatory damages exceeding $800,000 and punitive damages worth $185 million.

Fighting Labor Charges Not Easy

Businesses need experienced and skilled attorneys to fight for them in lawsuits. Damages related to labor issues are usually high, while employees could also bring up false charges. The legal department of such organizations has got to know the ins and outs of the challenges involved, and also be equipped with evidence.

Experienced legal transcription outsourcing providers serve the needs of law firms, courts, attorneys and also legal departments of businesses. They have the experience of dealing with many kinds of organizations and also have trained transcribers devoted to the task. With their skill and the use of sophisticated software, they can complete transcription of a document faster and more accurately. Besides, transcribed files go through quality analysis before they are handed back to the client. Some transcription firms offer customized turnaround times as well, to add to the advantage.

When it comes to labor or employment lawsuits, attorneys need all the help they can get. With legal transcription outsourcing they can streamline their functioning and focus on winning the case for their client.

About the Author

Promoter for MOS Legal Transcription Service.

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Author: Julie Clements

Julie Clements

Member since: Apr 21, 2015
Published articles: 26

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