Legal & Safety Paper
Ashlee Richards
HCS/341
March 19, 2012
Mike Sawyer

Legal & Safety Paper
When looking for a job people look at what kind of job it is and how much they pay and what benefits they offer. People don’t look at the acts involved like the equal pay act, the Americans with disabilities act, the family and medical leave act, and finally the drug free work place act. These acts are very important to know when looking for a job. Throughout this paper I will be telling you all about them and how they affect you as an employee and as a workplace.
The equal pay act was introduced in 1963 during the World War II. It came to be an act because men were at war and the woman wanted to step up and make money. The equal pay act was designed so that men and woman would get the same pay for the same work being done. When this act was first induced into legislation it was called the Woman’s Equal Pay Act of 1945. Woman had to prove that the men got paid more than the woman, they did the same amount and quality of work, and the men and woman worked under the same conditions. All of this just to recover under the equal pay act of 1963. An employer may pay a male employee more than a female employee if the employer can establish that payment is based upon (1) a seniority system, (2) a merit system, (3) a system whereby earnings are based upon the quantity and quality of production by the employees, or (4) a differential based upon any other factor other than the sex of the employees. Although the first three of these defenses have been the subjects of litigation, the fourth exception has been litigated more frequently (thefreedictionary.com, 2012). The Equal Pay act of 1963 affects the work place and workers in many ways. This act makes sure that men and woman are paid equally for the same quality and amount of work. It also holds true to the merit system and