Standard 5: Ethics

Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)

• Establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and youth employment standards affecting employees in the private sector and in Federal, State, and local governments.

• Regulates the maximum number of hours employees can work per week.

• Mandates paid vacation and sick leave for all employees.

• Sets guidelines for employee benefits and retirement plans.

Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA)

• Ensures safe and healthful working conditions for workers by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance.

• Regulates the minimum wage and overtime pay for workers.

• Provides unemployment benefits to workers who lose their jobs.

• Establishes guidelines for workplace dress codes and personal appearance.

Age Discrimination in Employment Act

• Protects applicants and employees under 30 years of age from discrimination on the basis of age.

• Protects certain applicants and employees 40 years of age and older from discrimination on the basis of age in hiring, promotion, discharge, compensation, or terms, conditions or privileges of employment.

• Prohibits all forms of discrimination in the workplace regardless of age.

• Allows employers to favor younger candidates in hiring processes.

Family Leave and Medical Act (FMLA)

• Entitles eligible employees to take unpaid leave for any reason.

• Provides paid leave for all employees regardless of employer size.

• Entitles eligible employees to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons with continuation of group health insurance coverage.

• Allows employees to take leave only for personal health issues.

Americans with Disabilities Act

• Prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in several areas, including employment, transportation, public accommodations, communications and access to state and local government programs and services.

• Provides tax incentives for businesses that hire individuals with disabilities.

• Mandates that all public buildings must be wheelchair accessible by 2025.

• Requires schools to provide special education services to all students with disabilities.

Immigration Reform and Control Act

• Prohibits employers from knowingly hiring, recruiting, or referring for a fee any alien who is unauthorized to work.

• Allows employers to hire any alien without restrictions.

• Mandates that all employers must provide health insurance to their employees.

• Requires employers to report all employees to the government for verification.

Unemployment insurance

• Helps many people who have lost their jobs by temporarily replacing part of their wages while they look for work.

• Provides permanent financial support to unemployed individuals.

• Is a government program that only benefits those who have been laid off due to company downsizing.

• Offers job training programs to help individuals find new employment.

The Civil Rights Act

• A landmark civil rights and labor law in the United States that outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin.

• A law that primarily focuses on economic reforms in the United States.

• A legislation aimed at promoting environmental protection and sustainability.

• A treaty that established peace between the United States and foreign nations.

Equal Pay Act

• Prohibits sex-based wage discrimination between men and women in the same establishment who perform jobs that require substantially equal skill, effort and responsibility under similar working conditions.

• Allows employers to pay men and women differently based on their job titles.

• Encourages companies to provide bonuses based on gender performance.

• Mandates equal pay for all employees regardless of their job roles.

Workers’ compensation

• Insurance that provides cash benefits and/or medical care for workers who are injured or become ill as a direct result of their job.

• A type of insurance that covers general health issues unrelated to work.

• A program that offers retirement benefits to employees after a certain age.

• A policy that protects employers from lawsuits related to workplace injuries.