The task before you is huge. You need to stay up-to-date with the latest employment laws. Now you might have operations in any of fifty states, or overseas in the European Community, Eastern Europe, or in Asia or Australia. In this article, we'll focus on U.S. Federal work and labor laws.
Below we've compiled a list of free resources that should be helpful.
For U.S. organizations, the United States Department of Labor (DOL) is the definitive source for federal employment and labor laws and regulations. Some of the most helpful DOL resources include:
- The Directory Page of Major DOL Laws – As DOL says, it enforces more than 180 federal laws. So you should start with this master directory page which provides links and summaries to all major DOL laws and regulations that you'll need to know.
- Wages and Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) – The FLSA establishes federal minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and youth employment standards. This page provides all of the information you need to understand how FLSA affects your enterprise.
- Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) – The EBSA page provides several resources to help you evaluate the quality of your employee benefits programs and compliance with the Affordable Care Act.
- The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) – FMLA entitles eligible employees of covered employers unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons. This page provides a breakdown of everything you need to know about FMLA.
Created by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, OSHA works to ensure safe and healthful working conditions by setting and enforcing standards and providing employers with training and assistance.
- Find the complete directory of OSHA regulations here.
3. U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
The EEOC is the agency responsible for enforcing federal laws preventing discrimination against job applicants and employees because of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, or genetic information.
4. National Labor Relations Board
The National Labor Relations Board is an independent federal agency with the authority to protect the rights of private sector employees to join together, with or without a union, to improve their wages and working conditions. Some particularly helpful resources the Board provides are:
- Employee Rights – A brief summary page stating the employee rights protected by the Board.
- Employer/Union Rights and Obligations – This page states the responsibilities employers and unions have to employees.
Here is a list of highly-rated blogs that will help keep you up to date on the latest in employment law:
- The Employer Handbook – Named by the American Bar Association (ABA) Journal as one of the Top 100 Legal Blogs of 2014, The Employment Handbook offers easy-to-understand take on employment and labor law. Best of all, The Employer Handbook looks at labor and employment issues from the perspective of you, the employer.
- Employment & Labor Insider – Also named to the ABA Journal’s Top 100 Legal Blogs of 2014, Employment & Labor Insider provides a fresh look at employment and labor issues. Author Robin Shea, a partner at the leading national labor and employment firm, Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP, provides an engaging and at times quirky take on employment law, while simultaneously breaking issues down so they are easily understandable.
- Employment Matters – Run by attorneys from the Employment, Labor & Benefits practice within the Mintz Levin law firm, this blog shares noteworthy information on labor, employment, and employee benefit laws. Employment Matters is easy to read and understand and often provides links to relevant posts in Mintz Levin’s other blogs.
- FMLA Insights – FMLA Insights is a blog written by attorney Jeff Nowak, who relies on his extensive Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) experience to analyze current FMLA cases and issues.
What resources on employment law do you find most helpful? Let us know in the comments below.
Sources: ABA Journal, LexisNexis Legal Newsroom, U.S. Department of Labor.Image Source: Flicker 1, 2.
