In the United States, it’s important that all workers are treated fairly and with respect. In order to ensure that this happens a federal law was enacted that guarantees this kind of treatment. The Fair Labor Standards Act stipulates requirements concerning things such as child labor, minimum wage, overtime, equal pay, and so forth. Let’s take a closer look at the FLSA to see how it protects workers.
Minimum Wage
If you’re a covered employee working for an employer, you should be receiving nothing less than $7.25 an hour, which is the current minimum wage rate. However, there are some states in the U.S. that actually require employers to pay higher minimum wages than the ones established by the federal government. Unfortunately, there are workers who are unaware of this law, and their employers take advantage of that fact. If you feel you’re being underpaid, you should seek legal counseling from the Law Offices of Filteau and Sullivan.
Child Labor
Before the Fair Labor Standards Act was passed children were often taken advantage of in the workplace. Children were forced to work long hours and were given little pay for their labor. The FLSA works to defend against this type of exploitation. Although underage children are still allowed to maintain jobs, there have been restrictions placed on age, hours worked, as well as the type of work they’re subjected to.
For instance, children under 18 are not allowed to work in roofing, mining, construction, or any other job that may seem too hazardous. Those who are 14-16 years old are allowed to work nonhazardous jobs. However, these children are limited to working 3 hours a day, and a total of 18 hours a week while school is in session. When schools is out this time is increased to 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week.
Equal Pay
In 1963, the Equal Pay Act was amended into the FLSA. This states that equal compensation and pay is to be given to both women and men if they’re performing the same duties. Unfortunately, to this day, many businesses have found ways around providing equal pay; as a result women are often paid less for doing the same amount of work as men.
