1. Chapter 5
Workers and The Law
Chapter 5.2

2. The Importance of Employment Laws
Chapter 5
The Importance of Employment Laws
Employment laws regulate the relationship between companies and their workers and give workers significant rights and benefits, including the right to work in a safe environment
There are strict penalties for companies who violate these laws

3. 5 Employment Laws Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) laws
Chapter 5
5 Employment Laws
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) laws
Occupational safety and health laws
Wage-hour laws
Benefit laws
Labor relations laws

4. Equal Employment Opportunity Laws
Chapter 5
Equal Employment Opportunity Laws

5. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Chapter 5
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Companies cannot discriminate against an employee because of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin
EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) can sue a company that discriminates against an employee
The employee can also take the company to court

6. Age Discrimination in Employment Act
Chapter 5
Age Discrimination in Employment Act
Companies cannot discriminate against employees because of their age in hiring, promotions, or retirement
Workers between the ages of 40 and 70 can sue employers for discrimination

7. Americans with Disabilities Act
Chapter 5
Americans with Disabilities Act
Companies cannot discriminate against persons with disabilities
Companies cannot fire or refuse to hire people because of certain disabilities and illnesses, such as blindness or diabetes
Companies must also accommodate a worker’s disabilities

8. Occupational Safety and Health Laws
Chapter 5
Occupational Safety and Health Laws

9. Occupational Safety and Health Laws
Chapter 5
Occupational Safety and Health Laws
Occupational Safety and Health Act sets standards for keeping workplaces clean and free of hazards, such as unsafe machinery and dangerous chemicals
Businesses must keep records of employee illnesses, injuries, and deaths and submit them to the US Dept of Labor
OSHA inspectors visit workplaces to make sure they comply with regulations

10. Chapter 5
Wage-Hour Laws

11. Chapter 5
Wage-Hour Laws
Wage-Hour laws establish minimum wage, overtime, and child labor standards for employees
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) protects workers in three ways:
Sets minimum wage companies can pay
Sets number of hours employees can work in a week without receiving overtime pay
Prohibits companies from employing children under the age of 14

12. Chapter 5
Benefits Laws
Benefit laws guarantee that workers will receive certain benefits regardless of what happens to them on the job
Companies must comply with five different benefits laws:
Social Security Act
Employee Retirement Income Security Act
Unemployment Insurance Laws
Workers’ Compensation Laws
Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

13. Chapter 5
Social Security Act
Provide workers and their families with income after retirement.
Supports disabled workers and the federal Medicare program, which provides health insurance for senior citizens
Employers and employees share the cost of SS taxes while the worker is employed
When workers retire, they receive a pension based on their lifetime earnings

14. Employee Retirement Income Security Act
Chapter 5
Employee Retirement Income Security Act
ERISA protects the money put into an employee’s retirement fund by companies and workers
Not every company establishes this program

15. Unemployment Insurance Laws
Chapter 5
Unemployment Insurance Laws
Provides workers with financial assistance during period of unemployment
To be eligible for unemployment insurance, workers must meet two requirements:
Must have lost their jobs through no fault of their own
Must have worked a certain length of time
Employers must pay a certain amount into unemployment for each worker

16. Workers’ Compensation Laws
Chapter 5
Workers’ Compensation Laws
All states have laws that insure workers against injury, illness, or death because of job conditions
Employers are liable for an employee’s on-the-job injury no matter how the illness or injury occurs
Covers accidents even if they are the fault of the worker!

17. Family Medical Leave Act
Chapter 5
Family Medical Leave Act
FMLA requires companies to give employees up to 12 weeks of leave to care for a child, spouse, or parent
Law only affects companies of 50 or more employees
Companies don’t have to pay their employees while they are on leave, but must give them their jobs back with no penalties

18. Chapter 5
Labor Relations Laws

19. Chapter 5
Labor Relations Laws
Protect the right of employees to organize into unions to bargain collectively for better wages and working conditions
Unions are groups of workers who collectively bargain for rights such as higher wages and better working conditions
Companies must at least listen to what unions say they want for their members
Organizing
Collective Bargaining
Striking
Strikes are a union’s ultimate weapon

20. Chapter 5
Activity
Hot Coffee
Movie
Hot Coffee Movie Questions