Employment Law

What Is Employment Law?

To live in a civilized society, the government had to create laws for everyone to follow. These laws range from federal to local, and non-compliance can lead to legal ramifications or prison. 

All laws have a purpose and, one of the essential ones is employment laws. That is because employment laws are one of the pillars that hold the economic system of a country. They govern the relationship between employees and employers. And without them, chaos at work and in businesses will be inevitable.

The Importance of Employment Laws

Because employment laws are always changing, it also has received its fair share of negative backlash. But, some employers want to reduce these laws in the name of higher profit. 

So, it is essential to remember why they came about in the first place. Below are some of the key arguments on why employment laws are needed.

Employment Laws Prevent Discrimination 

Everyone has their own biases. But, when it comes to working, every one of your biases has to go out of the window, especially if you are the boss. You rate your employees by their work and efficiency, even if you don’t particularly like them.

Because of employment laws, employers cannot actively discriminate against their employees in their working environment. Some prevent an employer from discriminating against a person because of their race, religion, color, nationality, disability, and sex.

Most of these laws have been created by both the local and federal governments. You can find these laws typically applied in businesses and companies that employ fifteen or more people.

Discrimination can come in many forms. For example, getting fired because you are 40 years old is a form of discrimination. If a company does not promote you because of the color of your skin is a form of discrimination. 

So if you think that this is happening to you, seek out a lawyer immediately.

Employment Laws Established Minimum Wage

Before, when employment laws were still not a thing, there were no laws to govern how much a typical worker would earn. You are lucky if your boss is nice to you but, if he’s not, you would probably be getting a wage that is enough to feed you for a day. This happened before during the Depression where employers were paying their workers with wages that could not support them, let alone a whole family.

That is why today, employment laws have included minimum wage. To ensure that employers cannot abuse their employers.

Employment Laws Keep Workplace Safety and Health

Not everyone has the same working environment. Some may be working in an office sitting comfortably in their chair, while others are in tall heights or are underground doing manual labor.

For this kind of work environment, many rules and regulations have to be implemented to ensure that everyone is safe and accidents are minimized. In Canada, the CCOHS are the ones that provide legislation and enforce them to employers so, the working environment is always safe and follows protocols.

Workplace employment laws also cover biological and chemical hazards, repetitive work injuries, and long working hours.

Employment Laws Stops Child Labor

Child labor was prevalent, especially during the depression. Children were even used to perform hazardous jobs that were supposed to be done by adults. As a result, many got injured or maimed because of the type of job they were working. 

Today, employment laws protect children. While they can still work, the type of jobs they can take is limited. And legislation will always put school on top of work when it comes to children. 

Most businesses have to ensure that employees have compensation insurance like in Canada. This insurance covers medical injuries of employees in exchange for some of their rights. 

But if you are somewhere where compensation insurance is not mandatory, like in Texas, employment laws will dictate that your employer pay your medical expenses on any work-related injuries.

Conclusion

Employment laws are one of the essential pillars of the economy. They ensure that employers do not abuse their power and employees won’t have their rights trampled. If you know someone who thinks employment laws are a hassle, share this article with them. So they know just how essential they are.

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