The employment laws in the US have always been going ahead with a sense of progression ever since the Industrial Revolution. As a result, one needs to understand the path of development that it follows before being employed by an organisation. Since it concerns all employees, they need to know their basic rights to create a comfortable work environment. Hence, to make matters simple, here are some of the basic workplace laws that you need to know.
1. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
The FMLA was put in place to provide workers with the ability to take protected leave from their job to care for a child, parent ill spouse, spend time with a newborn baby or adopted child or even for their own medical conditions. According to the law, an employee is eligible for up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave but with continued health benefits. As a result, you need to understand the impact of this law and ensure that your employer follows the same.
2. Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
Passed in 1938, the Fair Labour Standards Act is another important law that you need to be aware of. Created to improve the working conditions of employees, it came into the picture by the end of the Great Depression. Once it was passed, it brought forward significant changes that stood to cover employees and help them out in different ways. Apart from prohibiting child labour, the law went on to set forth a maximum of 44 hour work week with $0.25 as the minimum wage.
3. Civil Rights Act
Popularly known as a well-known law, the Civil Rights Act tends to cover discrimination in all public places. Moreover, it also banned discrimination by employers and unions during the process of hiring, promoting or firing at the workplace. Due to that, the law came on board to protect everyone and provide them with significant rights and powers as a citizen of a nation. The different amendments that it brought to the table is another aspect that further guarantees benefits to the people.
4. Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA)
The high number of workplace deaths that have occurred in the past made it quite clear that we needed a law for the same. As a result, in 1970, President Richard Nixon signed the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Thanks to its implications and significant effects, the law has been able to reduce workplace hazards and prevent various other situations that either leads to death or injury. Due to that, any worker who is at risk of injury needs to know more about this law and understand all that it stands to offer.