The Employment Rights Act, the Industrial Relations Act, the National Minimum Wage Act, the Maternity and Parental Leave Regulations, the Part-Time Workers Regulations, the Business Transfer Regulations, the Equality Act and the Agency Workers Regulations are some of the important employment laws in the UK. The basic purpose of labour law can be examined under nine broad headings: employment; individual labour relations; wages and salaries; Working conditions; health, safety and well-being; Social security; trade unions and industrial relations; the administration of labour law; and specific provisions for certain professions or other groups. Revision of laws – When laws are revised to ensure their relevance in the work environment, it can lead to employment law issues in existing contracts if changes are made during the revision. The Law on the Protection of Migrant and Seasonal Workers regulates the recruitment and employment activities of agricultural employers, agricultural entrepreneurs and associations that employ migrant and seasonal workers in agriculture. The law imposes wage protection, housing and transportation safety standards, registration requirements for agricultural workers, and disclosure requirements. The Department of Wages and Hours of Work administers this law. It is important for managers to be aware of employees` most important labour rights. If managers are aware of basic concepts, for example, that there are protected traits and activities, they are more likely to be cautious if a workplace situation involves these rights. Managers do not need to remember every protected characteristic or know the intricacies of FMLA. The administration and enforcement of these laws are carried out by the Department of Wages and Hours of Work. The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs administers and enforces three federal contract-based civil rights laws that require most federal contractors and subcontractors, as well as state-backed contractors, to provide equal employment opportunities. The Civil Rights Center of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management administers and enforces several federal aid-based civil rights laws that require recipients of federal financial assistance from the Department of Labor to guarantee equal opportunity. Another important function of labour law is to prevent discrimination in the workplace.
This ensures that no employee is affected because of gender, age, race, religion, ethnicity, etc. It also highlights issues such as the wrongful dismissal of an employee who has suffered an injury or is on maternity leave. Labor laws also protect workers from harassment in the workplace. It`s important to point out that many states and cities have similar laws, some of which are stricter than federal laws. For example, several states list additional features and protected activities and have stricter wage and hour laws. Managers must understand that they are responsible for complying with federal, state, and local laws. Substantive wage and remuneration law includes elements such as forms and methods of payment, protection of wages from unlawful deductions and other abuses, minimum wage regulation, wage determination, social benefits and, in advanced economies, income policies. The concept of wage regulation as the content of extreme social ills has been gradually replaced by wage policy as conscious tools of positive management to promote economic stability and growth. For most business owners, the key is simply recognizing when employment law is an issue. This can be difficult because the topic is really broad, but a savvy business owner will recognize when employment law covers a topic so he or she can ask for help if needed. Veterans and other eligible individuals have special employment rights with the federal government.
They will receive preferential treatment on their first hire and will be protected under the applicable reductions. Allegations of violations of these rights are investigated by Veterans Employment and Training Services. Now let`s take a look at some of the other employment issues she noticed. Many labor laws are state civil laws and are administered by state employment offices. Each of the 50 states has a state employment office. These employment offices are administrative authorities of the State which deal exclusively with the administration of labour law. Many of my labor law issues were state law issues and could have been avoided by contacting my state employment office for more information before proceeding. If you`re not sure how these or other labor law issues affect your business, visit the Small Business Administration website or contact an attorney.
Please note that federal agencies other than the DOL enforce laws and regulations that affect employers and employees. For example, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (www.eeoc.gov) enforces numerous laws to ensure non-discrimination in the workplace, and the National Labour Relations Board (www.nlrb.gov) administers the Taft-Hartley Act, which governs employers` conduct towards workers in various areas.