Workers Need to Know Their Rights

Whether you’re a full-time or part-time employee, your rights are protected by federal and state employment laws. It’s important to be aware of the employment laws affecting you to ensure proper treatment by your employer or manager. Should he or she violate these laws, you could file an employment lawsuit and receive compensation.

Employment laws cover everything from hours worked, minimum wages, and benefits, to overtime pay, mandatory meal and rest breaks, harassment laws and laws against discrimination. Depending on where you live, there may be different laws that affect you as an employee.

For example, California has a different law than most states regarding overtime pay. And in New York, some food and service workers are eligible for a higher minimum wage.

It’s also important to be familiar with the major federal laws that protect your rights as a worker like the FLSA, FMSA and OSHA. We provide a basic overview of these laws on our site, but you can visit the United States Department of Labor online for more specific information.

Employment laws encompass more than just minimum wage and overtime compensation - as a worker, you’re also entitled to protection over work-related injuries, wrongful termination and discrimination. The National Conference of State Legislation provides a full list of discrimination laws related to employment.

Labor law can be complicated, but an experienced lawyer can help. If you think your rights have been violated at work, you should seek professional legal help to determine the actions necessary to move forward with your claim.