Federal Government Employment Laws
- A broad scheme of federal laws governs many aspects of employment.Legal Law Justice image by Stacey Alexander from Fotolia.com
Federal employment laws control many aspects of employer-employee relationships, from hiring to termination of employment. Congress has enacted statutes governing compensation and benefits, working conditions, employee safety, and collective bargaining. Although there are counterpart laws from state and local governments, the federal laws set minimum standards and requirements for how employers across the country must treat their workers. - Numerous federal laws prohibit discrimination in the workplace.eggs on yellow background image by PaulPaladin from Fotolia.com
The largest category of federal employment laws proscribes discrimination in hiring, compensating, promoting, disciplining and discharging employees who belong to protected groups. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on gender, race, color, religion or national origin. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act protects workers who are age 40 or older.
Titles I and V of the Americans with Disabilities Act bars employment discrimination against individuals with disabilities and requires that employers provide reasonable accommodations to workers and job applicants. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act makes discrimination on the basis of genetic background illegal and limiting the use and dissemination of genetic information.
Most of these laws also prohibit retaliation against individuals who complain about discrimination. In the same vein, the Family Medical Leave Act bans both retaliation against individuals who seek to exercise their rights as well as ensure that qualified employees may take up to 12 weeks of leave for a serious medical condition or to care for a family member.
Additionally, the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act gives veterans certain rights to return and prevents discrimination against them based on their military service. - Employers must follow federal laws involving wages, work hours and employee benefits.check in macro image by Alexey Klementiev from Fotolia.com
The compensation and benefits employees receive for the hours they work are also influenced by federal law. The Fair Labor Standards Act sets minimum wages and requires the payment of overtime to covered employees for time worked over 40 hours in a week. It also restricts child labor.
An employer's ability to reduce or eliminate employee benefits, such as disability benefits and retirement income, is limited by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. Upon termination of employment, the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act ensures that former employees are offered continuing coverage for existing health insurance. - Laws determine how employees may organize and collectively bargain for their rights.union image by arabesque from Fotolia.com
Employees in non-right-to-work states may decide to elect unions to represent them in negotiating wages and working conditions. The National Labor Relations Act covers private sector union-management relations. The Federal Labor Relations Act provides federal employees with more limited union rights. Moreover, the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act promotes union democracy.
(Sources: http://www.nlrb.gov/ and http://www.flra.gov/statute) - Risk management issues are addressed through OSHA and workers' compensation laws.safety first image by Greg Pickens from Fotolia.com
Work can be a dangerous place, but federal laws offer protection against hazardous equipment, work practices, and environmental dangers. The Occupational Safety and Health Act sets specific standards to limit workplace risks.
Also, although states have their own workers' compensation laws, specialized federal laws cover specific workers, including federal employees, energy workers and individuals with black lung disease. - Workers must present documentation to legally work in the United States.passeport image by Loic LUCIDE from Fotolia.com
Federal immigration laws and the Immigration and Nationality Act require documentation that employees from foreign countries have permission to work in the United States.
There are other laws protecting specific groups of workers in the construction, marine, agricultural, mining and transportation industries.
