1. Workplace Legal Matters
Chapter 12
12.1 Laws about the workplace
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2. Chapter Objectives
After completing this chapter, you should be able to:
Identify how laws and labor unions affect the workplace
Describe discrimination in the workplace and identify some of the laws that address it
Recognize sexual harassment and identify actions to take against it.
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3. Labor Laws Designed to protect you from unfair treatment on the job
Laws about work & pay
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) 1938
Minimum wage & Overtime pay
Compensatory time
Child Labor Laws (min. age of 16 to work in factories)
2b. Paid time off from work rather than cash in exchange for working overtime. Employees, however, must agree in advance to this arrangement
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4. Organization of labor unions
Wagner Act (National Labor Relations Act) 1935
Allowed unions to organize & engage in union activities
NLRB (National Labor Relations Board)
Investigate charges of unfair labor practices
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5. Representing Workers Workers elect union leaders
They negotiate for job improvements or changes through collective bargaining
Issues to be addressed:
Better wages
Increased benefits
Better working conditions
When agreements are not reached: unions may strike
When they are reached, the company signs a labor contract. Union members must approve before it goes into effect
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6. Unions at work
There are 16 million union members in the U.S.
If you join a union, you will need to pay union dues
This money supports the work of the union & a strike fund
If you are thinking about joining a union, consider these factors:
Membership cost
Track record
Membership benefits
and Management
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7. Unemployment insurance
Helps workers cope with the loss of a job
Occurs when companies go out of business or layoffs result from a downturn in the economy
Family & Medical Leave Act (1993)
Guarantees employees at companies with more than 50 employees up to 12 weeks of leave for family or personal medical care or for the birth or adoption of a child
Drawing the line
Immigration Reform & Control Act (1990)
3. Makes it difficult for illegal immigrants to find work. Employers should make sure that all new employees have proper working papers & identification. Businesses can face huge fines if they break this law.
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8. Discrimination
Unequal treatment based on such factors as race, religion, nationality, gender, age, or physical appearance.
Major antidiscrimination laws
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Age Discrimination Act of 1967
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 & Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
Affirmative Action
2a. Bans discrimination in employment based on race, ethnicity, religion, or gender
2b. Makes it illegal to discriminate against people over 40 in hiring, promoting, or discharging employees
2c. Protect the rights of individuals with disabilities– conditions that can include visual or hearing impairment, mental illness, or paralysis. I.E. the law requires businesses to provide
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9. Equal Rights on the Job Equal Pay Act (1963) Sexual Harassment
Requires equal pay for equal work
Sexual Harassment
Any unwelcome behavior of a sexual nature.
Such behavior may include jokes, gestures, repeated or threatening requests for dates, & unwanted touching
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