This concise guide outlines labor law and why understanding it is important for both employers and employees in any business.
If you are an employee, understanding labor law means you understand your rights. And if you are an employer, you know how important it is to maintain a healthy and fair work environment for your employees. It is your utmost responsibility to provide stability to your employees and make them feel safe in their work environment to ensure maximum productivity. This guide will help you understand why it is essential for your employees to be aware of the labor law.
Labor laws are human rights
Whether employees are working in the private or public sector, it is their right to be treated with fairness. Human rights align with labor rights, ensuring employee safety in all aspects of the workplace. Here is a list of the fundamental rights of an employee, as laid down by the labor law:
- Right to be well informed: Before taking up a job or project, it is the right of an employee to be aware of all the necessary details, like the benefits, risks, hazards, or any other agendas that may affect them in any way.
- Right of consent to participate: Employees should commence a job fully aware of what they need to do and how to go about everything that the work description entails. It is their right to refuse work that puts their wellbeing at danger, for example, long working hours and heavy workloads if the employee’s health doesn’t allow it.
- Right to refuse work in unsafe conditions: Employees have the right to refuse a project if it does not guarantee their wellbeing. Labor laws protect employees from any backlash or threat from their employer in case of refusing to work under unfavorable conditions.
Why being informed about labor law is necessary
Labor law ensures the complete transparency of work requirements and workplace safety of the employees. First of all, if you provide all their rights in earnest, your company gains a reputation of being honest and empathetic, which helps in getting more clients and a better workforce. Secondly, if your employees are aware of their rights under the labor law, then in the long run, your business can avoid a lot of legal charges as all the issues will be dealt with within the office boundaries. Here is why being informed about these laws is crucial for the labor force in the market.
- To avoid discrimination: Employees must be aware of the labor law that protects them against any sort of discrimination based on their gender, race, or ethnicity because it also helps maintain a good working relationship and prevents hierarchical discrimination. If people know they have safeguards against discriminatory behavior, they will be more likely to report such incidents to higher authorities who, in turn, can maintain the work environment according to state laws.
- To receive the minimum wage: Compliance with labor laws ensures that each employee gets their fair share of the payment, and no one is paid less than the standard minimum wage benchmark set for multiple locations If your employees are aware of the rules about minimum wage, they will be more likely to opt for well-paid jobs. This will not only enhance their income, but in return for better pay, they will happily work more productively.
- To avoid harassment: No one wants to work in an environment where they feel unprotected or targeted. Gender-based harassment is one of the major issues women have to face, and harassment based on racial and ethnic background is also quite common. Employees can seek justice through the proper channels when facing such situations at the workplace.
- To receive compensation insurance: This covers the medical insurance of the employees during work injuries. However, in a lot of instances employees are deprived of their health benefits and medical insurance. Awareness of these laws ensure that employees do not have to shoulder all the financial burden during medical emergencies.
- To assure equal employment opportunity: Equal employment opportunity ensures a progressive and productive workforce as it allows everyone to utilize their talent in their desired field of work. When employees know they have an equal right to get the job based on merit, they are more likely to be satisfied with the job application results.
Making sure everybody understands
Learning about the labor law and making sure that staff is fully aware of it is a sagacious business move. It helps create mutual respect and understanding because the employer will make sure they fulfill the employee’s legal rights, and the employee will feel safe and secure in their job, leading to an overall increase in productivity and the creation of a peaceful work environment.
