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/.