Posted: September 2nd, 2022

Employment Law

Employment Law
Employment or labor law is a section of the laws of the united states comprising rules and policies that govern the employer-employee relationship. These laws regulate the relations between managers, employees, and owners, with the common purpose of ensuring that the rights of the employees and employers are protected. These laws also set forth the obligations and responsibilities, ensuring that both parties work together in harmony.
Employment laws cover quite a wide range of subjects and are available at the federal and state levels. These laws specify and clarify various issues revolving the employment process beginning from the interview stage, hiring, employment period, and termination.
Some of the major employment laws in the United States include the following:
1. Minimum wage laws
The fair Labor Standards Act enacted in 1938 set the first federal minimum wage. Currently, the federal minimum wages stand at $7.25 per hour. However, different states have set higher minimum wages. Some states have also established a lower minimum wage, but in such cases, the federal minimum rate prevails.
2. Overtime Pay
Employees also have the right to overtime pay. Hourly employees who exceed forty working hours per week are entitled to time-and-a-half pay. While the law does not stipulate the maximum number of hours or days an employee can work per week, it exempts the overtime pay benefit for employees working on Saturday or Sunday, provided the total working hours remain under forty.
3. Safe Working Conditions
The Occupational Safety and Health Act enacted in 1970 (OSHA) states that it is the right of every worker to be provided with safe working conditions. This means that the employees should be protected from predictable hazards such as harmful chemicals, equipment, noise, extreme temperatures, and any other conditions that can cause harm.
4. Family and medical leave
According to the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1963, large employers should offer their employees with at least 12 weeks of unpaid family leave. Family leave entails time taken off work to attend to issues such as childbirth, adoption, and so forth. It may also be used by employees with health problems or those with a close family member such as a spouse, parent, or kid with a serious health condition.
5. Right against discrimination
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prevents employers from discriminating against an employee based on their race, the color of their skin, religion, sex, age, or national origin, either during the hiring process, when making decisions like promotion, and unlawful termination.
These are just a few of the employment laws that employers must observe when drafting employment contracts. There are over a dozen more employments laws, including civil rights considerations, termination laws, child labor laws, and many more that both the employers and employees must adhere to.

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