construction worker

What you need to know about Labor Laws

If you own a business or you are planning on starting up one, then you need to know a lot when it comes to labor laws. These are the laws that deal with the rights of employees and also the state of their relationship to their employers. Ignorance about labor laws should not become an excuse if you happen to commit a violation. It is vital that you should be aware of these legal matters so that you can know what to do and what not to do. Below are some of the imperative things that you should know:

It Varies from State to State


You should know that laws dealing with employee and employer relations are not similar from state to state. When a state settles upon a higher minimum wage than the federal minimum wage, the higher wage takes effect. So it is advisable that you know about the laws in your area as well.


Overtime Payment

One of the most popular cause of problems when it comes to labor relations is the issue of overtime. Overtime pay is any payment issued for work that is done outside of the time that is legally set. Federal law demands that employees should pay their workers 1.5 times more than the normal rate for anything above 40 hours per week.

Lunch and Coffee Breaks

This breaks are another issue that a lot of people are having problems with. It might surprise you to know that employers are not obliged to give their workers any coffee or lunch breaks. You can offer them lunch breaks, but you will not be required to pay for that time.

The State Requirements

On the state level things might be different though. Your state law might require that employers offer 30 minute meal breaks and that should be mandatory. That is the reason you should know all about state laws.

Minimum Wage

The government sets a minimum wage for each country or state across the world but there are also some exceptions. This exceptions include those workers who can receive tips from carrying out their duties like waiters and bellboys. As stated earlier the state might come up with a higher minimum wage that should be observed.


welderDiscrimination should never be encouraged in the workplace. Discrimination that is centered on sexual preference, gender, religious beliefs, and disability have no place in the work place and as an employer you should all that you can to ensure that it is not encouraged among your employees. That might cause you a lot of trouble.