Employment laws deal with the rules and regulations concerned with both employees and employers in the workplace. They are made to ensure the protection of employees’ rights at workplace. They also help the employers to be aware of their obligations to their employees. A large number of litigation are seen every year with respect to the failure of these obligations. It is necessary for both employees and employers to understand the importance of the employment laws.
Discrimination results in adverse effects for an employee at the workplace. It includes failure in promoting an employee to a specific position because of factors such as age, race and so on. According to the civil right of 1964, discrimination of employees based on the caste, creed, sex and ethnic origin is prohibited.
Discrimination also includes showing certain salary differences between men and women who perform similar work for same time periods. The employment laws help in discrimination against such wage and salary issues. The Fair Labor Standards Act in the United States ensures a minimum wage and overtime salaries for labor of various departments. If an employee feels that the law is violated, then he or she may file a case against the employer. Employment laws also prohibit the discrimination based on the physical or mental disability of an employee.
Age discrimination is also common at workplaces. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) is enacted to protect the individuals above 40 years of age from employment discrimination based on age. It is therefore necessary for employers to make employees aware of their policies and procedures regarding the employment discrimination. The main purpose of the federal employment laws is to provide a safe workplace for employees. In the United States it is regulated by the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA).
Employment laws are found to cover various aspects associated with the employees and employers, in order to establish a fair and peaceful relationship amongst them.
