Working in an organization, company, or firm that has no regard for your rights as an employee can be quite unbearable. It is more frustrating when the pay is really competitive and so good for you to just walk away from. The unfairness and maliciousness meted out by most employers brought the need for employment law.
So what is employment law? Employment law generally known as labour law is the set of guidelines and rules that protect the rights of an employee in an organization or company. It is the law that mediates the relationship between employees and employers.
WHAT EMPLOYMENT LAW COVERS
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The aim of enacting the labour law is to prevent employment discrimination. These rules are set in place to give employees the rights that they deserve and this law covers the following:
- Worker’s compensation
- Labour relation
- Employee benefits
- Family and medical leave
- Minimum wage
- Wrongful termination
- Social security
- Occupational safety and health
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Employment laws are not streamlined to only full-time workers, even as a part-time, temporary or seasonal worker, you have the rights to be protected by this law.
As an employer of labour, it is highly paramount that you have knowledge about this law, and seek the advice of a lawyer when handling staff issues. This measure would save you from trespassing your rights as an employer and the problems that up with it.
Building a business, company, firm or enterprise cannot be done successfully without adequate treatment of your staff as a business owner. It doesn’t end with just the legalities of registering your business, it’s name, trademark, and, secrets. It goes as far as understanding how to fairly treat your employees and knowing the rules that govern them- Employment law.
There are 5 major categories of labour law, that you should know as an employer or an employee, so let’s shed some light on them.
5 MAJOR TYPES OF EMPLOYMENT LAW
Here are the 5 major pertinent categories of employee law below:
Civil Rights Law:
This law strictly protects the civil rights of the employees in the regard that they cannot be discriminated against by their race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, ability, disability, and nationality.
It means that as an employer, you are expected to treat all employees equally without expressing any preferential treatment or ill-treatment.
For instance, it means you cannot decide to treat your worker unjustly simply because he doesn’t believe in your religion or isn’t the same race as you.
Compensation Law:
As an employee, imagine overworking for a company, being dedicated, and spending over time but not getting compensation for all that. Now, this is what this law protects.
Compensation law covers the following:
- Minimum wage requirement
- Pay and hours for minors
- Overtime pay requirement
- Child labour laws
- Worker’s compensation following an injury or accident
No worker loves to be paid little for working overtime, so it is highly expected of you as an employee to consider this law.
Family and Medical leave law:
This law protects employees from being fired or replaced for taking a medical or family leave. It is stated in this law that an employee is allowed at least 12 weeks off for family and medical leave within 12 months. This includes pregnancy needs and funeral preparations. However, this only applies to workers who must have worked for at least 12 months
Workplace Safety laws:
OSHA is a regulatory agency that ensures that employers make their workplaces safe for employees. There are different standards for ensuring safety but their application largely varies with the industry. Some basic requirements include:
- Provision of PPEs for employees
- Heavy machinery restrictions for uncertified individuals
- Ensuring the workers don’t operate under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Educating employees about safety precautionary measures and also their rights under OSHA standards
Work Eligibility Laws:
These are standards that are very necessary to undertake, careful selection of your prospective workers is paramount. This entails finding out their previous work experiences, ability, age, as well as qualifications to ascertain if they meet up to your working conditions and environment.
IMPORTANCE OF EMPLOYMENT LAW
Below is a list of reasons why employment law is important and why it should be applied:
- Employment contracts or law, helps you resolve any issues that may arise between you and your employee
- Provides you with guidelines and directives on how to treat your workers fairly
- It provides legal rules and regulations that your employees in check such as leaving roles without prior notice, exhibiting wrong morals and behaviours within the workplace, and so on
- It provides employees with the protection of their rights based on payrolls, hourly wages, safety, and, equity
- Educates workers on their rights and responsibilities as an employee
- It protects the civil rights of the employees
- It ensures the minimum wage requirement is met by employers
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The benefits of labour law fairly extend to both workers and employers. It is not a law made only for the protection of the employee’s rights but also for that of an employer. The main essence of this law is to ensure there is a healthy relationship between employers and their employees.
So if you are an employer of labour, embrace the employment law and consider its regulations when employing staff for your organization.
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