About Workers Rights
Federal laws mandate certain basic rights for workers, among them the right to equal pay for equal work. All workers have the right to be paid for all hours worked, and the workers must be paid accurately. It is against workers rights for an employer or upper management to harass the worker, or to deny a physician's care if the worker is hurt on the job. Violating the rights of workers could lead to legal troubles for an employer.
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Discrimination
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Under the Equal Opportunity Employment Act, workers have the right not to be discriminated against. The discrimination not permitted is by gender, age, race, nationality origin, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, disability or religion preference. An employer who discriminates against an employee based on any of those grounds will be in violation of the act, and the worker has the right to file a discrimination suit, which will be ruled on by a court.
Work Related Injuries
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Any worker hurt on the job has the right to file for workers compensation, as long as the injury was work-related. The employer has the responsibility of provided a safe working environment and to carry workers compensation insurance in case of work injuries. Workers who receive workers compensation benefits must have their medical bills paid, as well as any wages lost after 7 days of being out of work due to the injury.
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Unions
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Workers have the right to join a union. The union acts as a representative of the worker, ensuring their needs are met by the employer. When the employer refuses to work with the union, the worker has the right to strike and picket with the union members. The worker may not be terminated for supporting the union.
Harassment
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Workers do not have to perform any work duties that are not ethical or in their job description. A worker has the right to refuse these demands, especially those that are sexual, without being considered insubordinate. Any employer or upper management that harasses an employee could face a lawsuit. The worker has the right to go to work everyday, without fearing what advances the boss will make, or what duties he will have to perform because other employees refuse to do so.
Wages And Overtime Hours
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All employees have the right to be paid at least the minimum wage for the state they work in. Some employers do not have to pay minimum wage, such as farms or independent contractors. Employees asked to work more than 40 hours a week must be paid overtime (not less than 1 1/2 times their regular rates of pay) for the extra hours worked, or to receive compensation time to use for future days off.
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