Four Laws All Employees Should Know - CareerAlley

Four Laws All Employees Should Know - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. An employee must pay attention to many laws that affect the workplace. Each law must be considered carefully, as it may affect the health, safety, and paycheck. Laws are put into place in order to protect both an employee and employer. Here is a closer look at four laws that every employee should know more about. Equal Pay Act of 1963 Every woman in the workplace must take special time to understand what this law means. It was first established in order to assure that every employee receives equal pay for equal work. The only exceptions to this rule are for incentives, seniority, or factors other than gender. When an inequality is taking place and can be proven, a claim can be filed so that a worker can recover back pay. A woman is entitled to the same pay as a male counterpart who is providing the same service. It is essential that all work is compensated appropriately, regardless of who is performing the task. Occupational Safety And Health Act This law is meant to keep safety as a top priority in the workplace. The aim is to make sure that all employers give workers a safe place to work that is free from health or safety hazards. These include dangerous chemicals, high noise levels, extreme temperatures, unsanitary conditions, or mechanical dangers. A job must not be a risk to a persons life. There are numerous business categories and each will have a specific standard. An employee must become familiar with these guidelines. If an employee finds a problem, a complaint can be filed under the OSHA. 2013 Tax Law Changes There are many changes in tax laws that every employee must be made aware of in order to save accordingly. The American Taxpayer Relief Act maintains that families making more than $450,000 each year will now be taxed 39.6%. Along with this, the social security tax rate has been returned to 6.2%. For the past two years, this amount was 2% lower. This means that a workers net pay will now be lower than expected. These tax law adjustments may leave a person confused and wondering why the paycheck is lower than normal. It can be devastating for people who live paycheck to paycheck. To alleviate some of the headaches, some businesses are providing an explanation of changes to employees after receiving a 2013 paycheck. Fair Labor Standards Act This law is also known as the Wages And Hours Bill. It establishes guidelines for the maximum hours that a person can work per week, the minimum wage limit, overtime payment, and the employment of minors. Today, all companies must adhere to a 40-hour workweek and provide overtime wages to an employee who works more than this amount. Overtime pay is usually given in the amount of one and a half the time of regular pay. This law also states that minors under eighteen years of age cannot participate in dangerous jobs. Anyone under sixteen cannot be employed during school time as well. As of 2009, the federal minimum wage holds steady at $7.25 per hour of work. It is essential for employees to be aware of various laws in this country that may have direct effects on life. The above laws are just a few of the most important laws in effect regarding the workforce. These laws are designed to protect a workers rights. They assure fair compensation for performed duties, equal opportunity in the workplace, and a safe environment. Compliance of these laws is key to the preservation of society. Developing these types of laws will increase the strength of the economy as well. Author Bio Andrew Deen is a writer who creates informative articles in relation to the field of law. In this article, he describes a few laws that employees should be aware of and aims to encourage further study with a Masters in Law Degree. This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. Good luck in your search. Visit me on Facebook