What Are Standard Labor Laws?
Standard labor laws are the federal labor laws that ensure employees are paid for all the hours they work and that govern when overtime is paid and at what rate. These laws dictate most employees' right to a federal minimum wage and govern how many hours children can work and at what hours and jobs. They don't cover things like lunch breaks or work breaks, though state laws often do. Nor do they dictate how much vacation time or holidays an employer must give workers.
Other People Are Reading
-
Minimum Wage Amount
-
All employees are to be paid for any hours they work for a company. The federal minimum wage amount is $7.25 per hour. Each state has its own minimum wage amount. If the state's minimum wage is higher than the federal minimum wage, the employee is entitled to the state's amount. Employees who receive tips do not have to be paid the federal minimum wage, unless their hourly wage and tips taken together do not equal the minimum wage. Some employers---such as agricultural employers---are exempt from paying the federal minimum wage.
Medical and Family Leave
-
Employees have the right to medical and family leave. An employer cannot deny an expectant mother time off after she has given birth. Medical and family leave can also be taken when employees place a son or daughter in foster care or when they need to attend to a medical condition of their own or an immediate family member's. Employers must grant eligible employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave during any 12 month period for any of the above reasons.
-
Overtime Hours
-
Any worker who works more than his full-time hours, typically 40 hours a week, must be paid an overtime wage. If the employee works part-time, she may not be paid an overtime wage until she works more than the standard full-time hours at the company. The overtime rate does not have to be paid for weekend workdays, only for hours worked beyond the full-time requirement. The wage a person is paid for overtime must be no less than time and one-half of his regular rate of pay.
Drug-Testing Policies
-
Under the Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988, employers have the right to maintain a drug-free working environment. A person working under the influence of an illegal drug or substance can endanger himself and others. An employer is not required to drug-test employees or applicants, but the employer has the right to administer the test if that is the company's policy. The employer may not discriminate when administering random drug tests or test new hires simply on the basic of perceived character flaws, race, gender or age.
Child Labor Laws
-
There are standard labor laws that restrict work by minors under the age of 18. A minor is not permitted to work more than three hours per weekday---or 18 hours per week---when school is in session. On a non-school day, a minor may work eight hours a day, and when school is not in session, she can work 40 hours a week. The hours of the day when a minor may work when school is in session are between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.; when school is not in session, he can work between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. School is considered not in session between June 1 and Labor Day. Some minors as young as 14 and 15 may work outside of these hours in different non-manufacturing, non-mining and non-hazardous jobs under certain conditions.
-
