Employment Laws

Employers commonly use credit reports to screen potential employees. Federal law allows for this, but it also limits how employers may use the information in the reports.

Companies running background checks are trying to gauge the potential and risk of an applicant. For many companies, background checks are a routine part of the job application process. Employers...

No. It is perfectly legal in certain cases for employers to run background checks on their employees. Employers can hire an outside source to screen employees with both positive and negative...

Employment background checks have become common among employers for various reasons. Depending on the extent of the background check, a number of items can be researched. The nature of the job...

Employers are required to fill out, file and keep a copy of a Form I-9, otherwise known as Employment Eligibility Verification form. The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) makes it...

Employers have to follow strict guidelines when running a background check, but there are many details they can probe, according to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. Fortunately, employers need...

There are several limitations to the scope of employee criminal background checks. Here's what employers can and can't check for.

A background check is defined as a process used by employers to acquire information about the employees, usually at the time of hiring. (See Reference[ 1) It is also referred to as a Consumer...

The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) are similar in that they are both federal laws enacted to protect workers and job applicants against...

Under federal anti-discrimination laws, employers may not discriminate against otherwise qualified workers who have pre-existing health conditions that do not impact their ability to perform their...

Employees who are deaf or hard of hearing have specific workplace rights and protection under United States law, and cannot be discriminated against with regard to employment

Some employment application questions and topics are off limits due to the potential for discrimination based on an applicant's personal situation that has little to do with the job for which they...

Nowadays, many employers use alcohol urine screening tests in the pre-employment and employment process as part of an overall alcohol/drug-free workplace policy and as a tool in evaluating...

There is no single law of the workplace. Employment laws originate from both the state and federal government, and which law is controlling in a specific state can be confusing. The answer depends...

The night shift allows employers to stay open and accommodate customers 24 hours a day. Working the night shift requires employees to work late and irregular hours. These employees who work the...

Nova Scotia gives its citizens security in respectable work. The laws ensure moderate work time and decent pay for many citizens. Both employers and employees are given the opportunity to succeed...

Noncustodial parents are required to pay child support and in some instances to provide medical coverage for their children. To ensure these obligations are being fulfilled, the courts and the...

Labor laws secure safe employment and steady income for workers in Alberta, Canada. Workers are fairly rewarded for their contributions to Alberta's business. Gainful agreement between employers...

A number of health and safety acts help with the prevention of on-the-job illnesses, accidents, injuries or deaths. Congress has implemented policies that employers and employees must follow to...

Florida law does not require employers to provide adult employees with meal breaks, regardless of the length of an employee's workday. Nevertheless, many employers still account for meal breaks...

The privacy of an employee has to be honored by employers in the workplace. An employee's personal or religious beliefs are private, and an employer does not have the right to inquire about these...

Workman's comp is also known as Workers' Compensation. Workman's comp insurance is a state mandated insurance program that provides compensation to employees who suffer from work related illnesses...

The employee bill of rights lists provisions that, when followed, ensure that employees are treated fairly and justly as working people in America. The employee bill of rights recommends that...

If you have been fired for improper reasons, you might be able to file a wrongful termination lawsuit against your former employer. Federal and state laws vary, but generally you can recover lost...

Labor law refers to a history of statutory law (made by legislators) and common law (made by judges), which doctrines governing the relationship between employers and employees. While the laws of...

Young people thinking about joining the military reserve or the regular military often wonder about the difficulties of readjusting to civilian life after deployment. Do employers discriminate...

Convicted felons have limited rights relative to employment. Private employers and government agencies can inquire into a job applicant's criminal record, conduct criminal background checks and...

Employers must abide by the workplace and safety health laws that Congress created decades ago. Violating the health and safety laws of the workplace can lead to citations and penalties. ...

The US Department of Transportation mandates that employers of safety-sensitive transportation employees are responsible for ensuring the safety of the public as well as their employees. The...

Drug testing is legal, according to the Drug-Free Workplace Act. Not all employers require an employee to submit to a drug test, but if it is the company policy, administering the drug test is...

When you go to work for any company you have a responsibility to serve the employer in the best interests of the workplace and as such, surrender certain rights to those for whom you work. Many...

Numerous federal laws---meaning bills passed by the United States Congress and signed into law by the President---protect the rights of U.S. employees. The protections range from fair compensation...

Workers' compensation is required by employers in all states. Many states have a Department of Insurance that determines the rates and benefits that are provided by a workers' compensation policy....

Holidays give employees a chance to relax and recuperate away from the work environment. Many employees find it comforting to know they are receiving pay while on holiday, but according to the...

OSHA safety audits are a vital part of compliance and citation prevention for the workplace. In a perfect world, all processes are without hazards, employees follow stringent safety guidelines and...

Most Pennsylvania employers must pay a minimum wage of $7.25 an hour under regulations that took effect in late July 2009. Certain exceptions apply in the coverage of employees who derive a large...

Workers employed in the United States often find themselves awash in a sea of acronyms, each indicating a law that influences their employment. These acronyms and their associated laws affect...

Federal employee laws and guidelines were established to protect the rights of workers. The guidelines protect the employer from denying or firing an employee due to discrimination because of age,...

Depending on the industry in which you work, you may have encountered a pre-employment drug screening at some point in your career. But is this kind of testing legal, and does it infringe on any...

The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 allows for a qualifying person to take up to 12 weeks of leave to care for a family member. The family member must be a spouse, daughter, son, parent or...

The labor laws of South Carolina are intended to deal with various aspects of the relationship between employers and employees. The laws cover issues such as the payment of wages, workplace health...

The current federal labor laws were established in 1938 as the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). These laws were created to govern fair wages, to restrict child labor in the workforce, and to force...

Process Safety Management is an Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) regulation that applies to employers who use highly hazardous chemicals in quantities exceeding specified...

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) safety procedures can seem complex and confusing. For one thing, there are so many of them. Literally hundreds if not thousands of regulations...

Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) regulations require employers to evaluate workplace hazards and ensure that workers have appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE)....

Under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993, workers are entitled to take additional days off from work due to a severe illness or injury. Workers are afforded the opportunity to tend to...

The Age Discrimination Act is part of a broad class of anti-discrimination legislation designed to protect the rights of workers. The first major employment discrimination legislation was Title...

The Civil Rights Age Discrimination Act was passed by Congress in 1967. It is part of a class of antidiscrimination legislation that also includes the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which set forth...

The federal Fair Labor Standards Act sets minimum wage and youth employment standards around the country. In some cases, employers may be allowed to pay workers below a certain age a wage less...

U.S. employees have legal rights to compensation, conditions and characteristics of break periods during work time. Some of these rights come from the federal government and some from state...