Major Federal and State Labor

Laws

Federal and State labor laws mandate employers to abide by

certain standards like paying minimum wages, ensuring

workplace safety, barring discrimination based on gender, age,

religion, etc.

In this article, we will discuss some major federal and state labor

laws that employers need to obey.

Federal labor laws

OSHA –Occupational Safety and Health Act

Under OSH Act rules, employers are required to provide a safe

and healthful workplace.

Employers must comply with all the standards prescribed under

the law and display the OSH Act posters which may include the

Choking Safety Poster, Code of Safe Practices poster, Clean Up

Spills poster, Cold Stress Poster, CPR Poster, Drug Free Poster,

Electrical Safety Clean Up Tips Poster, Fire Extinguisher Poster

and so on. The type of work environment determines which

posters must be displayed.

FMLA – Family and Medical Leave Act

• Under the FMLA, eligible employees of employers covered

under the law are entitled to take unpaid, job-protected leave for

specified family and medical reasons.

All covered employers must display the FMLA poster made by

the Department of Labor.

The poster also describes enforcement guidelines and how to

obtain additional information.

EPPA- Employee Polygraph Protection Act

The Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988 (EPPA)

prohibits employers from using lie detector tests, either for pre-

employment screening or during the course of employment,

with limited exemptions.

All covered employers must post EPPA posters as decided by

the Secretary of Labor.

Employers must display EPPA posters titled “Employee Rights”

in a prominent and conspicuous place in every workplace.

EEOC –Equal Employment Opportunity

• Equal employment opportunity laws prohibit discrimination

on the basis of age, sex, religion, national origin, race, color,

disability or genetic information in workplace.

• The "EEO is the Law" poster gives a summary of the equal

opportunity laws and describes how employees or job applicants

can file a complaint of employment discrimination.

USERRA –Uniformed Services Employment and

Reemployment Rights Act

USERRA protects civilian job rights and benefits for veterans

and active members of the armed forces.

All employers must post the USERRA poster entitled “Your

Rights under USERRA” furnishing employees’ rights and

remedial measures under the Act.

FLSA – Fair Labor Standards Act (Federal Minimum

Wage/Overtime)

• The FLSA establishes the federal minimum wage, overtime

pay, youth employment standards and record keeping associated

with employees in the private sector and local, State and Federal

governments. Covered non-exempt workers must receive at

least the minimum wage and overtime as required.

• Employers who have employees must post the FLSA notice.

The notice explains the Act and should be placed in locations in

the workplace to enable employees to readily read it. The

content of the notice is prepared by Wage and Hour Division of

the Department of Labor.

State Labor Laws

Employers need to display state labor laws as well. Below are

some important state labor laws.

Job safety and health protection

• If the employer is covered under an OSHA approved state

plan, the employer must display the state version of the OSHA

poster. Also, employers must display posters prescribed by the

state department of labor and industry.

Child Labor Laws

Employers who employ minors must display the proper child

labor law posters as required by the laws.

The laws prohibit employers from employing minors in

hazardous jobs and occupations that have been declared as

hazardous or harmful to the health/well-being of children

aged14-17 years.

Employers must display child labor posters specifying the rights

of minors as mandated by the state government. They should be

placed in conspicuous places where employees can readily see

them.

State Minimum Wage

Posters furnishing the minimum wage, overtime rate, credit

granted (with respect to meals boarding, etc.) in the state must

be displaced by employers under the scope of state

governments.

Unemployment insurance

• Unemployment insurance laws are administered by respective

state government bodies. These laws entitle eligible job seekers

temporary income for a specific period that differs from state to

state.

Workers' Compensation

Workers' compensation mandates employers to partly

compensate for the loss of income and medical expenses

incurred by an employee in the event of job related injuries.

Whether the employer comes under the scope of either Federal

or State government labor laws, compliance with those laws is

mandatory. The points discussed in this article can help get

guidance in this regard.

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