Chapter 5 Lesson 2 Workers and the Law

What You’ll Learn 5 major employment laws 3 major federal equal employment opportunity laws Importance of occupational safety and health laws About the Fair Labor Standards Act 5 benefit laws How labor relations protect workers

Initiation Do you think government should tell businesses how to treat their workers or what type of people to hire?

The Importance of Employment Laws Why create employment laws? Companies could pay what they wanted and make employees work under dangerous conditions. Companies could refuse to hire certain people (women) Employment laws Regulate the relationship between companies and their workers and give workers significant rights and benefits.

5 Major Kinds of Employment Laws Equal Employment Opportunity: No discrimination Occupational Safety and Health: Must comply with certain standards Wage-hour: Establish minimum wage, overtime, and child labor standards Benefits: Guarantee workers certain benefits Labor Relations: Protect the right to organize unions

Equal Employment Opportunity Laws (p.121-122) Title VII of the Civil Rights of 1964 – companies can’t discriminate against an employee because of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin Age Discrimination in Employment Act – companies can’t discriminate against employees because of their age (hiring, promotion, or retirement) Americans with Disabilities Act – companies can’t discriminate against persons with disabilities

Occupational Safety and Health Laws (p.122-123) OSHA – sets standards for keeping workplaces clean and free of hazards, such as unsafe machinery and dangerous chemicals

Wage-Hour Laws (p.123) Fair Labor Standards Act – protects workers in the following three ways: Sets minimum wage companies can pay workers Sets number of hours employees can work in a week without receiving overtime pay Prohibits companies from employing children under the age of 14

Benefits Laws (P.124-125) Social Security Act – provides workers and their families with income after retirement Employee Retirement Act – protects the money put into an employee’s retirement fund by companies and workers Unemployment Insurance Laws - Workers’ Compensation Laws - Family and Medical Leave Act- companies must give employees up to 12 weeks of leave to care for child, spouse, or parent

Labor Relations Laws National Labor Relations Act – gives employees the right to organize into unions Unions – groups of workers who collectively bargain for rights such as higher wages and better working conditions

You are an attorney representing an insurance company You are an attorney representing an insurance company. The president asks you advice on what kinds of EEO laws regulate the company. How would you advise the president?

Section 5.2 Assessment P.129 Fact and Idea Review #1-6 Critical Thinking #1 & 2

Activity Use a computer to create a crossword puzzle/word search for the terms that you have defined or create a quiz (matching, multiple choice, fill-in). Have a classmate complete your puzzle or quiz. Make sure you print a copy to submit to me, as well as an answer sheet