The federal government has many laws in place that protect employees while on the job in California and the rest of the country. It’s important for you to learn these laws, the protections they offer and how you can exercise your rights when an incident or violation occurs. Let’s take a brief look at eight important federal employment laws in today’s post.
The minimum wage law requires employers to pay employees at least $7.25 per hour since 2009. The law also limits the number of hours workers under 16 can work in a week if they are classified as non-agricultural workers.
The Occupational Safety and Health Act from 1970 helped to reduce the number of dangers in the workplace. This piece of legislation helped create safety regulations for the agricultural, maritime and construction industries.
The Affordable Care Act, passed in 2010, provides employees with health coverage from their employers if there are 50 or more employees at the company.
The Social Security Act of 1935 helps provide employees with a safety net by taking money out of paychecks and depositing it into the Social Security system.
Unemployment benefits are also protected by federal law and are paid to those who are laid off from their jobs for a set period or until they find a new job.
Employees who blow the whistle on unethical, illegal or other inappropriate conduct by their employers are protected from retaliation by their employers.
In 1993, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which provides employees with up to 12 weeks of leave each year to care for a loved one, have a child or adopt a child.
In 1964, the Civil Rights Act was passed. It protects employees from being discriminated against in their employment or pursuit of employment.
Now that you have an understanding of these eight employment laws, you can begin to look for violations while at work. The more of an understanding you have of these laws, the less likely it is that you will become a victim of workplace harassment, retaliation or discrimination.
