What is the Need for Texas Labor Law Posters?

Since the latter half of the 19th century, labor laws and legislations have been in order to protect the rights of workers and laborers all over the country. Since recent times, numerous laws are being passed to regulate the rules and regulations concerning the rights of employees. These rules and regulations have been instrumental in organizing bodies administering labor laws and preventing the exploitation of a large number of workers by their employers. Today, both the federal and state governments have passed many laws made to protect the interests of the employee.

Every state, including Texas, has passed their own regulations that are applicable within the borders of their state. When combined with the federal laws that are valid in every state, it creates a long list of laws that are applicable on the employees working in a state. This is where labor law posters come in handy.

Keeping a track of all the laws that are valid in their state can become quite tedious, so the government passed a resolution that made it compulsory for employers to display Texas labor law posters in visible areas of the office space so that clients have access to it and are aware of the rules that are governing them. Any offices found to be not displaying the relevant labor law posters can be subject to hefty fines by the government. Thus, we see that there is a legal requirement for you to display labor law posters in your Texas workspace.

The reason the need was felt for passing such a rule was that many employees were not able to keep track of the legislation that was passed to protect their rights. In addition, the dynamic nature of legislation formation resulted in new laws being passed regularly, which led to constant changes in the labor laws prevalent in the state. Therefore, to ensure that people have access to the current laws in use, employers themselves should provide the information to the clients. In places where a secondary language, such as Spanish, is widely spoken, it is compulsory to provide the posters in the secondary language also.

Labors law posters are also required to be posted in all offices because they provide information to the employees regarding the steps that they should take incase their rights are being trampled upon. It also provides information about the steps an employee should take in case their contract is not being followed. This prevents an employee from getting harassed or taking any wrong steps incase of any misconduct from the employer. Furthermore, it also helps in the quick resolution of the problem.

Many employers can be worried about the fact that they are providing information to their employees on how to take action against them. However, it is necessary to remember that this is necessary to maintain a relaxed and worry free environment in the workplace. This will lead to a better working atmosphere and productivity by the employee.

In case you are looking to put up current Texas labor law posters in your workplace, hiring a company to provide you with the posters will be a good idea, as they will provide with the latest labor law posters applicable in the state of Texas.

What To Do If Your Employer Does Not Approve Your FMLA Leave?

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) can e described as a Federal law that grants eligible employees the right to take some time off from their work in case of certain care taking responsibilities and health problems arising. This law is put in place by the Federal government to see that the employees are able to balance between their workplace and family obligations. There are some very common ways in which the employers knowingly or unknowingly violate the provisions of the FMLA law. This article discusses some of them and tells employees how to manage the situation in case an employer denies them a FMLA approved leave for which he or she is eligible. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) were passed by the Congress in the year 1993. The law mandates that the employers provide their employees with unpaid leaves combined with a guarantee for reinstatement under some limited and closely defined circumstances. Some of the states in the U.S have strengthened these protections for employees and have significantly expanded the opportunities to take leave. In several cases, those employees who have a union contract have access to more protections and benefits. You should be able to see this law in the labor law posters 2013 used by various organizations.

The FMLA rights of the employees are limited by several factors including the size of the employer, length of service of the employee and the reasons demanding leave. Employers who have a minimum of 50 employees are covered by this law and therefore must act in compliance with it. When an employer is covered by this law, not all the employees working for his firm are covered by FMLA. The minimum eligibility condition for the employees is that they should have served the organization during the previous year for not less than 1,250 working hours. Also, not all kinds of leaves are covered by the act. Employees can claim leaves only in case of child birth or adoption or foster care placement of a child, the personal health conditions of the employee, the serious health condition of the employee’s family member, qualifying exigencies that arise on account of a family member's military deployment or a family member's serious injury or illness that occurred during military service.

As an employee, if you have genuine and acceptable reasons to believe that you are entitled to enjoy the provisions of the FMLA leave and that your employer has denied it or refused to let you have your legal rights (in any one of the ways described above or any other way) you can right away consult a lawyer for necessary actions against the employer. Especially in cases where you face some emergency situation of this kind, the best thing is to get a lawyer into the picture in order to negotiate on your behalf. This is one of the easiest and the best ways to guarantee your rights under FMLA. On the other hand, if you have already been affected by denial of leave or disciplined for using this provision, you can also seek the help of a lawyer to help you determine your options and go forward with the necessary actions that will benefit you. Some of the possibilities that you can think of in this regard include trying to negotiate for a settlement of your claims, filing an administrative complaint approaching the department of labor, or filing a lawsuit even. You can judge the situation and your needs and then proceed accordingly.

Is your business in compliance with labor law requirements?

It is imperative to comply with the labor law requirements of Federal as well as State government; otherwise, the business owners are at risk of being penalized. There are various regulations that are applied on businesses and many of them are compulsory by all means. These rules regulated in labor law compliance posters protect the rights of both employers and employees.  

Importance of Posting Federal Labor Law Posters at Workplace

Federal labor laws, as we all know, are basically to guard workers from undue labor practices and insecure working conditions. There are many facets of federal labor laws, such as- medical leave, appropriate wages and health benefits, imposed by various agencies which come under federal government. However, there are many big and small businesses that endow with precise and essential information by posting Federal labor law posters in the workplace. It is vital for an organization to provide essential details about the laws to its employees and employers and with these posters it is achievable to a large extent.

These posters serve as an enlightening tool for employees, pertaining to their working responsibilities and privileges. These posters are available in many diverse languages, so that companies can display posters according to their labor force. There are however, different types of labor law posters that give an apparent knowledge of the workplace laws, formulated by the Federal and State governments. The posters are quite beneficial for both, employees and employers, and displaying them in the work place leads to awareness regarding labor rights and work-related information.

It is also very vital to update the posters from time to time to know about current changes in the federal and state laws, if any. Let us take a look on how the Federal labor law posters are worth posting in the workplace for both, employers and employees:

Benefits of displaying posters for employers:

• Displaying these posters in workplace helps the employers to defend their organization against any possible employee clash, possible court case and proceedings. Also, the employers will safeguard themselves of fines that may occur by non-posting of law posters.

• Employee’s credentials are very essential to an employer. So it is vital to tell the employees to deposit their credentials that come under the guiding principles of the organization.

Benefits of displaying posters for employees

• By displaying posters in the workplace, employees will get to know their rights and duties towards their work in a more appropriate manner.

• With these posters, they will come to know the hours of their break and rest.

• With these posters, employees are regularly notified and are aware of their rights and the punishments they will get for violating laws of federal or state government.

These posters are obligatory, and are important to let the working people know about their labor rights provided by the State law agencies. The posters are only posted at such places, which are visible to everyone. Before making use of these posters, it is essential to check if the posters are up-to-date and precise, to get informed on a regular basis.

Federal and state labor law posters are not only fundamental to post, but are an easy way to stay protected from any labor related lawsuit or dispute at workplace. By displaying these posters, you are not only getting awareness of your labor rights, but can get the best work done with a serenity of mind. If you want to get more information, please visit http://www.easybusinessposters.com/products/federal-labor-law-poster.html.

Federal labor laws regarding overtime in US

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of federal labor law posters regulates the overtime law in US. It states that unless exempted, covered employees must receive overtime pay for hours worked over 40 in a workweek at a rate not less than time and one-half their regular rates of pay. Moreover, in this rule, there is no limit on the number of hours employees aged 16 and older may work in any workweek. At the same time, the Act does not require overtime pay for work on Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, or regular days of rest, unless overtime is worked on such days. For more information, you can click here.

Pay Attention to Workplace Safety – What You Need to Know

The Department of Labor in the United States puts utmost importance to the safety of its workers. During the past years, efforts have been doubled by the department to properly educate employees on issues pertaining to workplace safety.

MAJOR INJURIES

Major injuries include workplace incidents that expose employees to major health risks, even death. The leading accounted major injury types include dislocation, fractures, crushing and amputations.

Fatal Injuries in the Workplace by Sector

There are specific job types where workers have higher chances of getting injured. Listed below are the most common workplace injuries by sector:

• Construction Sector. According to studies, the construction industry has the highest reported injury rate among all sectors.

• Marine Sector

• Manufacturing Sector. The manufacturing sector includes the following industries:

- Non-metallic Mineral Products Manufacturing

- Furniture Manufacturing

- Metalworking

- Manufacturing of Optical, Computer and Electronic Products

- Food Products Manufacturing

- Wood Products Manufacturing

- Petrochemical Products Manufacturing

- Other related manufacturing industries

• Vehicle Repair and Maintenance Sector

• Real Estate Sector

• Food and Accommodation Sector

• Engineering and Architectural Sector

• Telecommunications

• Business Support Sector

• Advertising

Most Common Types of Major Workplace Injuries:

• Dislocations, Crushing and Fractures

• Multiple Injuries

• Burns/Hypothermia

• Amputations

• Electric Current Exposure

• Paralysis

• Drowning or Asphyxia

• Concussion

• Blindness

MINOR INJURIES

Minor workplace is comprised of workplace incidents that don’t result in major harm to employees. The leading accounted minor injury types include bruises and cuts (41%), dislocations, crushing and fractures (26%) & strains and sprains (17%).

Most Common Types of Minor Workplace Injuries:

• Bruises and Cuts

• Dislocations, Crushing and Fractures

• Strains and Sprains

• Stings and Bites

• Burns

• Multiple Injuries

• Puncture Wound

• Concussion

Workplace Health and Safety

The United States of America has 3 agencies in the Department of Labor (DOL) that enforce and administer labor laws aimed to protect the health and safety of employees.

• Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)

OSHA is responsible for regulating the health and safety conditions of employees in private industries. Almost all employees in the United States are under the authority of the Occupational Safety & Health Administration, except for select transportation employees, miners, self-employed and public employees.

• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)

The Fair Labor Standards Act includes rules that concern young workers employment, the ones who are below 18 years of age. This concerns jobs allowed for young workers, minimum age restrictions and number of days allowed for young employees. The Fair Labor Standards Act aims to protect the well-being of young workers in the United States.

• Mine Safety & Health Administration (MSHA)

The MSHA is responsible for enforcing and regulating the Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977. This act includes the protection, health and safety of workers in the mining industry.

A lot of states in the United States implement safety rules in the workplace that transcend the requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act. For more details on workplace safety of the Department of Labor in your state, click here to learn more.

Obama Says Job Market May ’Stall’ Due to Budget Cuts

President Barack Obama told a group of Democratic donors in Atlanta that the economy and job market could falter as a result of the automatic spending cuts that went into effect March 1.

“Because of some policies in Washington, like the sequester, growth may end up slowing,” Obama said at a luncheon for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. “We may see once again the job market stall.”

The president was in Atlanta to give the commencement address at Morehouse College and he told the donors that while he was energized by the spirit of the graduates “they are entering into a job market that is still challenging.”

Earlier, at the commencement ceremony, Obama gave the labor market a more positive rendering. He told the graduates “you’re graduating into a job market that’s improving.”

American employers added more workers than forecast in April, sending the unemployment rate down to a four-year low of 7.5 percent. More Americans than projected filed claims for jobless benefits last week and manufacturing in the Philadelphia region unexpectedly shrank in May, signs that a slowdown in growth is rippling through the U.S. economy.

Source from: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-19/obama-says-job-market-may-stall-due-to-budget-cuts.html

The Need for Constant Updating of Federal Labor Law Posters

Given that there are numerous state and federal agencies today, it is a given fact that labor laws have to constantly change to adapt to the changes that happen. Hundreds of labor laws are being updated and revised annually to make sure that they are applicable to the modern situation. This makes updating of federal labor law posters critical for business owners as it affects their businesses directly.

These federal labor law posters are updated or revised depending on the state. Business owners must strictly adhere to posting of appropriate and updated labor law posters in every workplace. The Department of Labor makes sure electronic copies are readily available through various distributors nationwide. Most of these posters are even available in various languages for instances that the company has several branches and has employees of different native languages.

Generally, posting requirements vary by statute. This means that a company may or may not be required to post a specific notice or not all employers are covered. However, there are several federal labor law posters that the Department of Labor requires all workplaces to post and there are those that we are most familiar with. Examples of which are:

• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Poster: Also known as the minimum wage poster and includes information on overtime, child labor, and enforcement.

• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): Clearly addresses everything about job safety, health, and workers’ rights.

• Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA): This is a requirement for all companies with at least 50 employees.

Employers can be required to post as many as 11 federal labor law posters depending on the state they are located. Some may even be required to post additional posters with regards to public sector employers. Regardless of state and nature of business, every employer needs to regularly update their federal labor law posters. Here are some of the reasons why there is high need to update posters:

• Failure to post updated labor law posters may result to citation and penalty.

• It serves as clear-cut guidelines for compliance of everyone, both the employer and employees.

• Everyone needs to uphold the law at all times.

• You need to let your employees know what they are entitled to.

• You need to protect both the company and the employers.

Should you in any way fail to comply with updating your federal labor law posters, here are some of the penalty examples that may be imposed:

• Federal FMLA - $100 per offense.

• May lead to court actions and assess civil penalties as per Federal Employee Polygraph Protection Act Secretary of Labor and Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Protection Act (MSPA).

• Federal OSHA Posters - $7,000.

• CAL/OSHA Poster - $1,000 per violation.

Since there are no set dates for federal labor law posters updates, we suggest every business owner to be responsible and contact labor law posters distributors. After making sure your federal labor law posters are updated, be sure to place them on a common place visible to all employees and even applicants so everyone is guided accordingly.

Several Points to Look at About San Francisco’s Minimum Wage

In the nation, San Francisco is the city with the highest minimum wage and also happens to be the only major city which has an agency for wage enforcement. This local compensation was put to effect back in 2004 and one thing of note is that while employers are required to pay their workers minimum wage, they are not required to have a report of how many they should be paying it to.

San Francisco has their Office of Labor Standards Enforcement which is the agency that is most engaged when it comes to the issue of wages and is tasked with enforcing just practices when it comes to labor concerns. However, they have confirmed that they have never had a concrete picture of the extent of the low-wage work in the city.

Currently, San Francisco’s minimum wage is at $10.55 per hour but after ten years of having had the minimum wage boost passed, ongoing violations when it comes to wage and labor compliance issues still suggest that this policy in the city cannot bring out all the workers from a state of poverty.

According to the vice president San Francisco’s Labor Council, Conny Ford, passing this minimum wage ordinance alone is not enough to make sure that everyone gets fair payment inside the workplace. Ford also said that the Office of Labor Standards Enforcement can’t keep up when it comes to cases of wage theft in the city. For this reason, the office relies on groups to refer wage theft victims to resolve the issue.

A lot of activists with anti-poverty concerns as well as public officials fight for the rights of the employees in San Francisco who earn below the mandated $10.55 per hour. The numbers of underpaid employees reach thousands, and after ten years of having the law passed, this is unacceptable.

Since there is no specific local agency which is responsible for tracking minimum wage jobs, the enforcement of this law has been relying on getting actual complaints from workers to get information. However, not much come out to get vital information. This is because when employees do report cases of not being paid the right amount, they risk getting conflicts with their employers such as getting some sort of retaliation or worse-- permanently losing their job.

This year, the Congress is beginning to debate issues on the national minimum wage having President Obama’s proposal of the minimum to be at $9 per hour. According to the director of San Francisco’s Office of Labor Standards Enforcement, the great part of the violation cases when it comes to wages is connected to the underground economy where workers are paid in cash and employers fail to accurately track the numbers of hours worked.

Forty-eight percent of these complaints are from the workers who belong to the food service work sector such as baristas, waiters, dishwashers, and cooks. Other employees who are often illegally paid include constructions workers, security guards, health aides for home employment, and other hotel employees.

The fear of the workers is mainly to lose their job if they come forward. Despite the current state of economy, and even after being aware of the violations, a lot of these individuals are just thankful to have a job and would like to keep it that way. You can learn more about labor law and practice by clicking here http://www.easybusinessposters.com/.

California Occupational Safety and Health Act That Employees Should Know

The Occupational Safety and Health Act is a law enacted by the federal government in order to regulate and govern the occupational health and safety issues in the private sector and federal government in the United States. Signed by President Richard Nixon and enacted by Congress in 1970, the principal objective of this law is to make sure the employers in the country provide a hazard free work environment to the employees that are free from recognized hazards including excessive heat or cold, unsanitary conditions, exposure to toxic chemicals or excessive noise levels. While passing this act, Congress declared that its intent behind this law was "to assure so far as possible every working man and woman in the Nation safe and healthful working conditions and to preserve our human resources."

Also popularly known as Cal/OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Division of Occupational Safety and Health is established by the federal government in order to implement the said law to safeguard workers and the public at large from safety hazards. The tools used by this organization to realize the said objective include ensuring that the firms across the U.S. are in compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health law in addition to implementing some inspection programs to monitor the safety standards of elevators, amusement rides, aerial tramways, ski lifts and pressure vessels. OSHA has the authority to set as well as enforce workplace health and safety standards. The department also provides consultative assistance to employers as per request.

The Act also instituted the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission to supervise enforcement priorities, actions and cases. One another organization that was established in order to further the objectives of the law is the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), an independent research institute in the then-Centers for Disease Control.

The Act defines an employer as any "person engaged in a business affecting commerce who has employees, but does not include the United States or any state or political subdivision of a State." The Act covers the comprehensive range of employers in all sectors including manufacturers, construction companies, law firms, hospitals, charities, labor unions and private schools.

Section 5 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act features the general duty clause that directs the employers to maintain the conditions and practices necessary to protect workers on their job; act in compliance with the standards meant for their organization; and ensure the employees use the appropriate protective equipments while at work.

Section 8 of the Act pronounces reporting needs. If there is a fatal work-related incident in the workplace or if three or more employees are hospitalized due to a work-related incident, the employers must report the same to OSHA within eight hours. As per the law, OSHA inspectors are authorised to enter, inspect and investigate safety issues during regular working hours of the organization. The employers must take all measures to educate their employees regarding the work-related hazards. The Act also requires the employers to keep a record of non-consumer chemical products used in the workplace, and posting and supplying the material safety sheets to the employees. The Act permits the states to implement their own occupational safety and health plans in a way they do not overtake or clash with the federal laws.

To know more about California Occupational Safety and Health Act, check this:
http://www.easybusinessposters.com/products/california-total-labor-law-poster.html