Link to Labor Laws

Below are some of the landmark U.S. Federal acts that established many of today's labor laws (statutes), at the Federal, state and municipal levels. States and municipalities are allowed to establish their own labor laws, that include or expand the minimum protections afforded by Federal labor laws. Workers are protected by whichever labor laws afford the most protection.

Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967
Prohibits employment age discrimination against individuals who are at least forty, but less than sixty-five years old.

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
Prohibits employment discrimination against qualified individuals who have disabilities, because of their disabilities.

Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA)
Under COBRA, employers must offer continued healthcare insurance benefits at group rates to employees and their qualified beneficiaries, when employees lose work hours or their jobs. See also the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act listed below.

Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974
Requires employers to maintain voluntarily-established health and retirement plans fairly and soundly. Makes it illegal for employers to discharge employees to evade granting pension rights. Amended by the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act listed above.

Equal Pay Act of 1963
Prohibits wage discrimination between men and women who work jobs that require equal skill, effort, and responsibility, in the same establishment and under similar working conditions.

Fair Labor Standards Act
Establishes minimum wage, maximum hours, overtime pay, equal pay and child-labor requirements.

Family and Medical Leave Act
Provides certain employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave per year, without losing their jobs or group health benefits during the leave.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
Requires insurance companies to cover employees and their dependents who were previously covered by group health insurance (e.g., employer-provided or COBRA insurance plans). Limits exclusions for pre-existing conditions and disallows discrimination against employees and their dependents for health reasons.

Labor Management Relations Act of 1947
Also called the Taft-Hartley Act, this labor law makes it illegal for employers to interfere with legit union activities, including forming a union.

Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA)
Prohibits workplace health and safety hazards. Makes it unlawful for employers to retaliate against employees for exercising their rights under the Act, such as whistle blowing.

Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978
Amends section 701 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (below), to prohibit sex discrimination on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Prohibits discrimination in compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Includes protection for sexual harassment. See also the amendments to this act, in The Civil Rights Act of 1991.

Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974
Provides equal opportunity and affirmative action for Vietnam-era veterans, special disabled veterans, and veterans who served on active duty during a war or in a campaign or expedition, for which a campaign badge has been authorized. Limited to employers with Federal contracts or subcontracts of $25,000 or more.

Whistle Blower Laws
A variety of labor and other laws, that make it illegal for employers to retaliate against employees who report violations of the laws to the proper authorities, participate in legal proceedings under the laws, or refuse to break the laws.

Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN)
Requires certain employers to notify affected employees of plant closings and mass layoffs, at least 60 days in advance with few exceptions. If employers send affected employees packing on the day they give such notice or shortly thereafter, employers still must pay employees at their regular rates and give them the benefits to which they're entitled throughout the notice period, even though they don't have to work.

For more landmark and specific acts, and to research Federal and state labor laws and workers' rights on the Web, start at Labor Law Research. It includes links to free legal advice, legal-aid societies and attorney referral services.

If you have a question about labor laws or to report an employer violation, start at your state's labor department or consult an attorney.

Labor Laws
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