Labor Laws and Issues

Learn about some important employment laws and issues.

Kết quả xổ số hôm nay tốt enforces . These laws protect employees and job applicants against:

• Discrimination, harassment, and unfair treatment in the workplace by anyone because of:

  • Race

  • Color

  • Religion

  • Sex (including gender identity, transgender status, and sexual orientation)

  • Pregnancy

  • Kết quả xổ số hôm nay tốtNational origin

  • Age (40 or older)

  • Disability

  • Kết quả xổ số hôm nay tốtGenetic information

• Being denied reasonable workplace accommodations for disability or religious beliefs

• Retaliation because they:

  • Complained about job discrimination

  • Helped with an investigation or lawsuit

Filing a Complaint with State or Local Government or Tribal Employment Rights Office

To file a complaint, contact your .

Kết quả xổ số hôm nay tốtMany state and local governments have their own anti-discrimination laws. These laws may offer extra protections beyond federal laws.

Kết quả xổ số hôm nay tốtSome state laws:

• Apply to businesses with only five or six employees

• Prohibit discrimination based on whether you're married or have children

• Have different deadlines for filing a charge

• Have different standards for deciding whether you’re covered by them

Many state laws have more protections for nursing mothers than federal law requires. enforce these laws.

Filing a Lawsuit

If you're a victim of job discrimination or harassment, you can . If the discrimination violates federal law, you must first file a charge with the EEOC. (This doesn't apply to cases of unequal pay between men and women.)

Kết quả xổ số hôm nay tốtYou may decide to sue if the EEOC can’t help you. In either case, look for an attorney who specializes in employment law. You can check with:

Not All Employers Are Subject to EEOC Laws

This number varies based on the type of employer and the kind of discrimination alleged.

• Businesses, state, and local governments must follow most EEOC laws if they have 15 or more employees.

• Federal agencies must follow all EEOC laws, no matter how many employees they have.

Laws that the EEOC Enforces

Federal employment discrimination laws include:

• Kết quả xổ số hôm nay tốt (ADA) – prohibiting discrimination against workers with disabilities and mandating reasonable accommodations

• (ADEA)

• (Title VII) – prohibiting discrimination based on:

  • Race

  • Color

  • Religion

  • National origin

  • Kết quả xổ số hôm nay tốtSex (including sexual orientation and gender identity). Learn more about for LGBTQ workers. These protections apply regardless of any contrary state or local laws.

• Kết quả xổ số hôm nay tốt (EPA) – requiring equal pay for equal work by men and women

Harassment

is unwelcome conduct based on:

• Race

• Color

• Religion

• Sex

• Kết quả xổ số hôm nay tốtNational origin

• Age

• Pregnancy

• Disability

• Genetic information

It can include:

• Offensive jokes

• Physical assaults or threats

• Ridicule or insults

• Kết quả xổ số hôm nay tốtDisplay of offensive objects or pictures

may include:

• Kết quả xổ số hôm nay tốtUnwelcome sexual advances

• Requests for sexual favors

• Kết quả xổ số hôm nay tốtOther verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature

• Kết quả xổ số hôm nay tốtOffensive remarks about a person's sex

Kết quả xổ số hôm nay tốtHarassment becomes illegal when:

• It creates a hostile or abusive work environment

• The victim gets fired or demoted for refusing to put up with it

Protection from Retaliation

EEOC laws protect employees and job applicants from . For example, it’s unlawful to punish people for:

• Filing or being a witness in an EEO charge or investigation

• Talking to a supervisor or manager about discrimination or harassment

• Refusing to follow orders that would result in discrimination

• Kết quả xổ số hôm nay tốtResisting sexual advances, or intervening to protect others

is a federal labor law that allows an eligible employee to take an extended leave of absence from work.

Situations Included Under FMLA

• Illness
• Caring for a qualifying sick family member
• The birth or adoption of a child
• Military caregiving or other emergencies related to a family member's active duty service

This unpaid leave is guaranteed by law and is available to workers at companies with 50 or more employees. can help you understand your rights and coverage.

Questions or Reporting a Violation of the FMLA

Kết quả xổ số hôm nay tốtIf you have unanswered questions about the FMLA or you believe someone has violated your rights under FMLA, for assistance.

Employer Responsibilities Under FMLA

Kết quả xổ số hôm nay tốtEmployers with FMLA eligible employees have specific under the law. Learn  by the FMLA.

If you are an employer with concerns about false FMLA leave, with any questions about FMLA compliance and seek the advice of your company's legal and human resources departments.

administers and enforces some of the nation's most comprehensive labor laws. They include:

Minimum Wage

• The federal minimum wage is the lowest legal hourly pay for many workers. Tipped employees may have a different wage.

• Kết quả xổ số hôm nay tốtThe minimum wage is $7.25 per hour for  as of July 24, 2009. Learn more about the minimum wage in the .

• Kết quả xổ số hôm nay tốtMany states and cities also have minimum wage laws. Where federal and state laws have different rates, the higher wage applies. and its .

• Contact your with questions about minimum wage.

Overtime Pay

An employer may require or permit a worker to work . The states that workers who clock more than 40 hours per week are to get overtime pay. There are few exceptions to this rule.

• for overtime pay guidance.

• Visit the for exemption classifications and state legal tools.

Misclassification

An employer says a worker is an independent contractor. The law says the worker is an employee. That's misclassification, which can:

• Affect a worker’s pay, protections, and benefits

• Cause tax problems for both businesses and workers

Resources and Next Steps

• See a about misclassification.

• Find .

• If you’ve been misclassified,  for more information. Or  with the Department of Labor.

Learn About Your State's Labor Laws

Labor laws vary by state. Contact the state government for information about specific laws where you work.

• Business owners: Check out the Small Business Administration's .

 at 1-800-746-1553 or file online to .

Interstate Trucking:

• For complaints about safety issues on the road, such as being forced to drive in unsafe conditions, fill out the online  or call 1-888-DOT-SAFT (1-888-368-7238).
• If you have a complaint about safety issues occurring inside a trucking building or facility, there are a variety of ways for workers to  with the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA). 

Aviation: Contact the  or use the .

Most Other Industries:  with the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA). Please note: OSHA may refer you to a state agency.

Workers’ Safety Rights

As an employed worker, you’re entitled to certain  - especially ones that keep you safe. These include the right to:

• Be trained in a language that you understand
• Be provided with the necessary safety equipment
• Report injury or illness
• Voice your concern over unsafe working conditions without fear of retaliation

In order to improve safety in the workplace, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) .

Kết quả xổ số hôm nay tốtAs of January 1, 2017, certain employers are required to electronically submit injury or illness data. Doing this allows OSHA to improve enforcement of workplace safety requirements and provide valuable information online for workers, job seekers, customers, and the general public. The new rule also prohibits employers from discouraging their workers from reporting an injury or illness.

can help you file a claim. If your claim is denied, you can appeal.

Longshore and Harbor Workers, Coal Miners, Nuclear Weapons Workers, and Federal Employees

Kết quả xổ số hôm nay tốtFederal laws protect longshore and harbor workers, coal miners, nuclear weapons workers employed by the Department of Energy (DOE) or a DOE contractor, and federal employees. Contact the that applies to you for help filing a claim.

 for more information on wrongful termination laws in your state.

Seek legal counsel if your employer terminated you for any reason not covered under state or federal law.

You may also be eligible for .

Employers

Kết quả xổ số hôm nay tốtIf you are an employer seeking information about legal termination of employees, you may wish to contact both the  and your  to ensure you do not violate any federal or state labor laws. You may wish to consult with a licensed attorney.

Last Updated: November 23, 2020