Employment Laws

Wages that you pay to domestic help are subject to the same federal tax laws as any other type of employment, once you exceed certain minimum amounts. While it may be difficult for the government...

According to the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) website, employees and applicants of federal agencies are protected from employment discrimination. Types of discrimination...

Electricity involves serious safety issues. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set training requirements and safety standards for everyone who works with electricity.

While most of us would like to believe that discrimination does not exist, the painful fact is that it does. There are several types of discrimination in the workplace. AGE, DISABILITY, EQUAL PAY,...

Credit card debt, along with other credit debt that's not secured by collateral, can be collected through wage garnishment if the creditor seeks, and is granted, a court order or judgment against...

The United States adopted child labor laws in the mid-1800s to protect children from abuse. State and federal employment laws now protect youth in the workplace.

Legislation dictating workplace rules and regulations has been around in the United States since its inception. However, it was not until the 1950s that solid legislation was implemented to...

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...

Pursuant to federal law, is it illegal for employers to make hiring or firing decisions on the basis of race, gender, religion, country of origin, marital status, disability, age or membership in...

Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary notes that the term "wage" was used in the Middle Ages to refer to a pledge or recompense. The current definition of wage is "a payment usually of money for...

Government workers obtain many rights once they begin working for the government. The constitution, federal and state laws give government workers rights to protect them from coercion,...

For the most part, employees must take the initiative in enforcing their legal rights. Fortunately, all laws protecting employee rights also have a federal agency assigned to aid employees in...

Even for lawyers, trying to understand the differences between state and federal employment laws can be a real exercise in patience. Sometimes state law supersedes federal and vice versa. Trying...

The U.S. Congress has passed many laws that protect the rights of employees in America. The most significant of those laws include protections for fair and equal pay and against discrimination,...

Federal and state laws provide numerous protections for employees and workers in the United States. Some of the most important protections include freedom from discrimination and harassment, the...

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) was established in 1938. The FLSA has been amended over time yet continues to provide guidelines aimed at protecting employees throughout the United States. The...

Millions of Americans go to work each day, do what the supervisor says and clock out at the end of the day without thought to hourly wage labor laws. But it is a good idea to brush up on the laws...

As in other countries, America has a long history of granting holidays to the American people. The holidays are meant to give the people a chance to observe, reflect and respect various aspects of...

Drugs testing for federal employment has always caused controversy among labor rights groups. Is mandatory drug testing of all federal employees an unnecessary invasion into the privacy of public...

On July 24, 2009, the third and final phase of the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007, an amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), became the law of the land. Federal law now requires that...

Congress recently raised the federal minimum wage, but thanks to differences in state and federal laws, the changes affect people differently depending on where they live. If you've ever had a...

Federal laws protect numerous employee rights, including the right to be free from discrimination, the right to fair and equal pay, and the right to a safe workplace. These rights are enforced by...

The idea of a steady, full-time job with health benefits and vacation may not exist in the near future. More companies are reclassifying workers as "independent contractors," but some employees...

The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) was passed in 1994 by Congress for members of the United States military who wish to be reemployed in the civilian job market...

There are three branches of employees of the federal government under the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. They are military, civilian and civilian-military. Civilian employees can be merit...

Companies inevitably terminate employees, within parameters set by federal and state regulation. Both employer and employee should be educate themselves so they are aware of each other's rights.

Unemployment can make a worker insecure about income for months. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act in 1935 to ensure that workers unemployed between jobs have income...

The U.S. Congress has enacted many laws to protect employees. Those federal laws are often referred to as labor laws or equal employment opportunity laws. The laws provide such protections as...

Employee drug testing laws were enacted in order to bring a higher degree of safety to the workplace. Many employers now require drug testing as a condition of employment. Refusal do take the test...

A complex range of federal and state laws exist to protect employees who "tell" on employers engaged in fraud or other illegal acts. An employee who wants to blow the whistle should consult an...

The US Department of Labor has created and continues to enforce more than 180 laws related to the US workforce that must be abided by all employers within the nation. The purpose of these...

The implementation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) was with the expressed purpose of protecting employee rights when it came to wages and hours worked. The act applies outright to companies...

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...

Workers in the United States have rights guaranteed by law in areas including pay, nondiscrimination and workplace safety. The modern workers' rights movement in the U.S. began on May Day 1886,...

There are many U.S. federal labor laws and there are new ones passed very year. From the older ones governing basic worker's rights to newer legislation expanding the benefits employees receive,...

Whistleblowing refers to the reporting of a legal or ethical corporate or governmental violation, typically to upper management or a regulatory agency. There are numerous federal and state laws...

Labor laws are laws which are aimed to provide protections in the workplace. This article summarizes the different types of labor laws, explains several key federal labor laws and discusses who...

Gay discrimination in the workplace is prohibited by federal law in government-endorsed jobs, but many states and cities also prohibit it in private employment. Stay informed on all local and...

Most workers look forward to break time as a chance to grab a bite to eat or chat with co-workers. They often become upset when they feel they have been denied an entitled break period. There are...

Two categories of labor laws apply specifically to federal contractors: laws governing wages and work hours, and laws providing for equal employment opportunity.

Men and women in the labor force in the US are protected by certain worker rights. However, this is a complex area of law, and it can be difficult to know exactly what one's rights are while on...

There are many reasons to sue someone due to a labor law. Mostly, employers are sued, but in certain cases, employees can be sued. Labor laws can be heard in state civil courts or in federal...

Even though most employers have the right to fire employees at will, federal labor laws protect workers from being fired due to certain acts of discrimination or retaliation. Additionally, workers...

The minimum wage is the lowest hourly wage that an employer can pay an employee. This wage is determined by the federal government. Minimum wage varies with each state, but all states must meet at...

Federal labor laws were put into place to protect workers and employers alike. Without labor laws, many workers would be taken advantage of by their employers. Wages could be lower than the cost...

The Whistleblower Protection Act, known as the Federal Whistleblower Statute is one of many laws that govern activities such as employee safety and environmental protection.

Federal law mandates that you display an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) compliance poster in an area where all of your employees can view it, such as a break room or...

There are many federal labor laws, and it can be difficult to make sure that you abide by all of them. However, several agencies of the U.S. government focus on helping businesses comply with...

The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) is the federal agency charged with responsibility for enforcing Federal Civil Rights employment laws. The EEOC, for example,...

There are many federal labor laws, and it can be difficult to make sure that you abide by all of them. However, several agencies of the U.S. government focus on helping businesses comply with...