Religious Discrimination: Employers cannot discriminate against employees or candidates based on their religious beliefs.
Employment Discrimination Laws: Workers are protected from discrimination based on age, gender, race, ethnicity, skin color, national origin, mental or physical disability, genetic information, and pregnancy or parenthood.
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA): This law sets standards for health and retirement plans.
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA): If you’ve ever had a prospective employer ask to run a background check, you’ll want to know about your legal protections under this law.
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Also known as the 'Wage and Hour Bill', FLSA was enacted by Congress in 1938. It regulates minimum wage, overtime, and child labor laws.
The Affordable Care Act – Nursing Mothers: Under the provisions of the ACA, employers must provide nursing mothers with a private room to nurse/express milk, as well as time to do so.
Family and Medical Leave Act: FMLA provides 12 workweeks of unpaid leave per12-month period for covered employees. In addition to federal leave, some states have enacted family and medical leave legislation. Check with your state department of labor for availability in your location.
Immigration and Nationality Act (INA): INA legislation specifies rules about work permits and wages for foreign nationals who want to work in the United States.
Breaks from Work Laws: These laws regulate meal and rest breaks.
Child Labor Laws: These legal protections restrict and regulate working hours for minors, as well as the types of employment children in which may work.
Background Check Law: Regulates employment background checks and the manner in which they can be used during the recruitment process.
COBRA: The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act gives workers the right to continue their health insurance coverage after separating from their job.
Drug Test Laws: Depending on your industry, drug testing may be regulated by state and/or federal law.
Employee Privacy Law: Learn how to protect your privacy on the job and during a job search.
Foreign Labor Law: Foreign nationals who want to work in the U.S. must obtain a work visa. The type of visa varies depending on the type of employment.
Information Employers Can Disclose: Many employers have policies about not giving away information about former employees, e.g., whether they were fired for cause – but that doesn’t mean that they’re legally prohibited from doing so.
Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA): These laws regulate workplace safety.
The Wagner Act of 1935 and The Taft-Hartley Act of 1947: Protects the right of workers to organize and to form unions (and regulates how those unions can operate).
Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act: USERRA outlines procedures and rights related to military leave.
Youth Labor Laws: The laws regulate the working hours and conditions of workers under the age of 18.