US CODES ON EMPLOYMENT LAWS

The United States Department of Labor (DOL) oversees and administers more than 100 federal laws. These directives mandate certain guidelines which are put into operation to cover many workplace activities for about a million workers and workplaces. Below mentioned is a list of laws, Acts & Codes many of which come under DOL’s primary statutes. These are ordinarily relevant to workers, businesses, retirees, contractors and so on. This article is aimed to acquaint you with the foremost important labour laws. For authoritative information and more descriptions on the same, you should refer to the statutes and regulations themselves which can be accessed at the official governmental portals.

1. Fair Labor Standards Act,
2. “The Wage and Hour Division also enforces the labour standards provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act that apply to aliens authorized to work in the U.S. under certain nonimmigrant visa programs (H-1B, H-1B1, H-1C, H2A),”[1]
3. The Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act: This Act regulates guidelines in regard to safety and health conditions for both private and public sectors.
4. The Longshore and Harbor Worker’s Compensation Act provides compensation and medical care to maritime employees,
5. The Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act: Provides for lump sum amount in medical benefits to employees,
6. The Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA), (5 U.S.C. 8101): Offers an exclusive workers’ compensation program paying the compensation for disability or death of a federal employee resulting from personal injury sustained while in the performance of duty.
7. The Black Lung Benefits Act: Offers monthly payments to coal miners through this disease,
8. Welfare benefits are provided under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) (mentioned under Title 1 of the Act),
9. Under Title IV, specific employers must fund an insurance system to protect certain kinds of retirement benefits, with premiums paid to the federal government’s Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation,
10. For continuation of any benefits and group benefits refer to provisions of the Comprehensive Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA),
11. The Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (also known as the Landrum-Griffin Act) deals with the relationship between a union and its members.[2]
12. The Davis-Bacon Act refers to provisions that benefit employees of contractors engaged in federal government construction projects,
13. The McNamara-O’Hara Service Contract Act, setting guidelines and standards for contract employees,
14. The Walsh-Healey Public Contracts Act, provisions are related to payment of minimum wages,
15. The Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (Mine Act) covers all employees who work on mine property,
16. Title 20 – of the Codes states about Employees benefits,
17. 29 U.S. Code.[3]

United States labour laws establish the rights and obligations of employees, but also in regard to labour unions, and employers in the United States. Labour law’s basic aim is to provide a remedy for the “inequality of bargaining power” between employees and employers. Over the years, many laws have designed maximum social and economic rights, which has further persuaded states to enact laws that go beyond the minimum favour towards employees.

[1] https://www.dol.gov/general/aboutdol/majorlaws

[2] Refer above link.

[3] https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/29