Why Do Employment Laws Exist?
Employment laws exists to protect employees and employers, ensure fair pay for the employees and protect children from labor. The laws also help stabilize the economy, ensure proper employee classification and prevent discrimination of employees.
Employment laws protect employees by ensuring that they work in safe conditions. To ensure safety, employers put safety precautions in the workplace in compliance with the laws. Additionally, the laws protect the employees from abuse and discrimination by the employers. Two laws that protect employees from abuse and discrimination of employers include Fair Labor Standards Act and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.
In the protecting employers, employment laws ensure their employees have the qualifications needed so that the employers can benefit from the labor they offer. The laws also ensure that employees report to work on time and do what employers pay them for. This helps employers to sustain productivity and competition in the market.
To ensure that employers pay their employees fairly, the Federal Labor Standards Act states the minimum houry wage is $7.25 for employees aged 20 years and above and $4.25 for those below 20 years of age, as of 2013. This law binds every employer, hence protects employees from exploitation. In protecting children, the federal Fair Labor Standards Act states that children aged below 14 years should not be under employment. However, they can help their parents run their businesses.