...Your basic rights as an employee There are minimum rights and entitlements set out in law, which apply to ALL employees, whether it is written in your employment agreement or not. Your employment agreement cannot trade off or provide for less than these minimums. The law protects you at work by setting the minimum rights you have as an employee with paid time off work the minimum you can get paid public holidays sick leave bereavement leave giving you the right to refuse to do work that would likely harm you making sure that all workers, including young people, are safe at work and not unlawfully discriminated against. Your employer must: * Pay you at least the minimum wage * Provide you with annual leave * Provide or compensate you for public holidays if you work, or normally work the day the public holiday falls on * Provide you with a written employment agreement * Not deduct money from your wages, without your agreement in writing * Provide a safe workplace for you to work in * Not discriminate against you. One of the main principles of the law on employment is called “good faith”. This means that employers, employees and unions must deal with one another honestly and openly. Minimum terms and conditions vs negotiable terms and conditions All employees, regardless of the type of work they perform or whether they are full time, part time or casual, are entitled to an employment agreement in writing. These may be either individual or collective...
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...Microeconomics Research Paper Minimum Wage In the United States, minimum wage has remained at a low number for several years. Minimum wage is defined as the lowest possible income that an employer can legally pay an employee. This ensures that all people are fairly paid and not defrauded by companies or businesses. Minimum wage is considered a price floor and the minimum wage laws determine the lowest price possible that any employer must pay for labor. In an economic model, the quantity of supplied is greater than the quantity demanded and the minimum wage is above equilibrium price and quantity. Minimum wage prevents labor supplied and labor demanded from moving toward equilibrium price and quantity. Although the government is trying to maintain a good balance of income distribution, there are is a high amount of people that work year round and still fall under the national poverty level. The government tries to stop the rich from getting richer, and the poor from getting poorer, so they make sure that everyone is earning the same amount of money. Even if our balanced income distribution is at a good number, an increase of the minimum wage price would help our country in a lot of ways. Raising the current minimum wage is one way to reduce poverty, will help businesses grow, and could help a lot of communities as well. The first advantage of increasing the minimum wage is that it will help poor people to earn a higher income. For many workers, minimum wage is simply not enough money...
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...In every country there are many federal, state and local laws that influence workplaces, and it is important for employers to follow these laws in order to understanding their responsibilities, and create a harmonious workplace. These laws guarantee rights in the workplace such as hours of work and overtime pay, minimum wage, pay, safe workplace, vacation time and vacation pay, public holidays, coffee and meal breaks, pregnancy leave and parental leave, personal emergency leave, family medical leave, termination notice and termination pay. Us employment laws In the United States of America the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and youth employment standards. These laws have to be abbey by any employer, from the private sector and the government entities. The minimum wage rate is not less than $7.25 per hour effective July 24, 2009. Overtime pay at a rate not less than 1.5 times the regular rate of pay is required. Overtime rate applies after 40 hours of work in a workweek Another aspect is measured by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) administered by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment Standards Administration's Wage and Hour Division. This act provides up to 12 weeks of job-protected, unpaid leave during any 12-month period to eligible, covered employees for the following reasons: 1) birth and care of the eligible employee's child, or placement for adoption or foster care of a child with the employee; 2) care of...
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...What is the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Overview According to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): “The FLSA sets minimum wage, overtime such as how many hours and what the pay is, record keeping, and youth employment standards affecting employees in the private sector and in Federal, State, and local governments.” FLSA Minimum Wage: Instances as to where an employee is subject to both state and federal minimum wage laws the higher of the two is to be given to the worker. FLSA Overtime: A bare minimum of $7.25 an hour to all workers is required by law since July 24, 2009. And after reaching 40 hours in a work week each additional hour is to be compensated with one and a half times the amount. A work week as defined by the FLSA is ”any...
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...to have a dramatic impact on human resource management. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the most relevant Canadian and Swedish employment standards legislation and labour market data and in so doing, compare and contrast legislation in order to objectively examine the two countries. Canada and Sweden can be compared and contrasted in significant ways. Specifically, a review of labour law and labour market trends, including labour force demographics, minimum wage standards, parental leave, vacation time and hours of work is worthy of consideration as to determine the implication on human resource management. 2.0 Sweden and Canada Labour Program Expenditure Defined It is important to first establish background information of each country. Sweden’s labour standards and policies fall under the responsibility of the Ministry of Employment. The responsibilities are considered to be part of the welfare system which includes unemployment benefits, activation benefits, employment services, employment programs, and job development opportunities (Smucker, Axel Van, Michael & Anthony, 1998). Sweden, historically known as a welfare state, has traditionally been characterized by a high level of social protection based on universal coverage, a large public sector, a low rate of unemployment, regulation of the employment market based largely on collective agreements and high growth rates (Smucker et al., 1998). Of additional importance, employment security and stability are two...
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...The history of minimum wage dates back to 1938, during the Great Depression, where it was set to $0.25 per hour (“Background of the Issue”). Ever since then, Congress has increased this rate 22 times. The most recent change occured in 2009 where the minimum wage was set to $7.25 per hour. Currently there are 29 out of 50 states who have altered and increased their minimum wage higher than the federal minimum wage (“Background of the Issue”). Undeniably, this generates much controversy regarding those in favor and against raising the minimum wage. Is it enough money to make a substantial living? Through some research we will try to identify which arguments are the strongest. Raising the minimum wage has many benefits for the economy and its citizens in our opinion. The most...
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...New York increased their minimum wage to $15 at the beginning of this year as part of Governor Cuomo’s plan, “Built to Lead Agenda”. This plan “takes the needs of workers and businesses alike into account.” Thus, New York is trying to improve the lives of employees, without hurting the employers in the process. The effects of an increase in minimum wage to workers and companies in New York may be too early to calculate because the year has just begun. Research of other states give insights as to the results of increasing the minimum wage. If New York can increase their minimum wage from $9.70 to $15, can other states follow through? The effects of increasing the minimum wage varies. Supporters believe that an increase in minimum wage “improve...
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...Introduction Employment laws have been constituted to ensure fair treatment of employees by employers and to prevent exploitation of employees in the workplace. It is of utmost importance that these laws are completely understood by an organization not only to ensure compliance of these laws but also to create a workplace that is conducive to harness the maximum potential of employees by harboring goodwill, equity and trust between employers and the employees which in turn would lead to higher returns for the shareholders. These laws strive to provide the employees with a fair compensation for the work done, and a safe and non discriminatory workplace. Employee Laws like other laws have evolved over time to respond to the societal and organizational changes. One of the oldest and significant employment laws is the “Fair Labor Standards Act” established in 1938 to set the minimum wage and overtime pay. Another monumental employment law is the Title VII of “The Civil Rights Acts of 1964” that has resulted after a long and passionate strife for equality by Americans. The Title VII of this law deals to tackle employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, and retaliation. In the year 1967, another law called “The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)” was passed to increase the set of discrimination criteria to include age. They have been followed by other very important bills like “Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970”, “Americans...
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...employees feel 'included' as part of a team and part of a work family, they can be more productive and more efficient. The information below will examine how a motivational plan works positively, what motivational theory is the basis for the motivational plan, how managers can motivate minimum wage employees, team performance, and my individual experiences working with a team. Job Flexibility as a Motivational Plan Workplace flexibility programs such as telecommuting, flexible hours and flexible start and end times have a positive effect on employees’ motivation, engagement and satisfaction. According to a recent study conducted by WorldatWork, 85% of employers who have a flexible culture in their office reported that the flexibility has had a positive effect on engagement, 84% reported a positive impact on motivation, and 92% reported a positive impact on employee satisfaction. Additionally, the survey showed that a flexible work environment can reduce employee turnover (WorldatWork, 2013). Workplace flexibility programs such as flex time, compressed work schedules, and telecommuting creates a level of autonomy and trust that increases employee satisfaction and engagement. Since workplace flexibility arrangements are seen as favorable by employees, increased loyalty can result since...
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...Women of all ethnicities working full time in the United States earned an average of only 78 percent of what men made in 2013. While this largely gender wage gap is an essential statistical illustration of how women take home less money than men across the country, it is vital to consider the specific elements: A number of different things, including race and ethnicity, interact to affect earnings. After studying the wage gap for women of color, for instance, it becomes clear that on average, women of color experience a much greater wage deficit than white women. Women of color are more likely than white women to be pushed into the lowest-earning occupations in the service sector and in sales and office jobs. This trend is mainly noticeable for Hispanic women. Working women in 2014, 62 percent of Hispanics were bunched into just two job sets—service occupations and sales and office occupations. This is linked with 57 percent of blacks, 51 percent of whites, and 44 percent of Asians in the same job categories. Unlike most developed nations, the United States lacks federally mandated paid family and medical leave and paid sick days. These policies allow caregivers to balance family responsibilities with their jobs, and lack of access means that women, who often bear the brunt of family care, will have to take time off without getting paid to care for themselves, sick family members, or new children. The end result is that women lose out on pay, promotions, and other benefits that...
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...Teamwork & Motivation BUS 520 Date: August 5, 2014 Imagine that you are the owner of a small manufacturing company. Your company manufactures a commodity, widgets. Your widget is a clone of a nationally known widget. Your company’s widget, WooWoo, is less expensive and more readily available than the nationally known brand. Presently, the sales are high; however, there are many defects, which increase your costs and delays delivery. Your company has fifty (50) employees in the following departments: sales, assembly, technology, and administration. The motivation of the team lays heavily on the leadership of the company. Managers must learn how to motivate the team in an effective manner to reach a common goal. In this case, making sure that the widgets are being produced with little to no defects, and being sent out in a timely manner while keeping costs down. The objective is to design an organization motivation plan that will encourage the team to work and achieve this goal. Highly motivated individuals can make a huge difference to the overall attitude of a team and the production. The first step in developing a motivated team is being able to understand what a team really is. According to Organizational Behavior, “A team is a group of people holding themselves collectively accountable for using complementary skills to achieve a common purpose.” (Schermerhorn, Jr., Osborn, Uhl-Bien, & Hunt, 2012) Team work...
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...influential role in the employment relationship for a long time. This raise questions about should intervene employment relationship or leave it entirely to employers and employees. State is all government organizations with the currently selected government, which are carrying out government policies (Nikola 2009, p. 41). In my option, the state is a necessary player within the employment relationship. This essay will illustrate why the state should take part in the employment relationship from four aspects. First is the state can protect employees by applying policies into the workplace. Second, the employers can receive benefit when the state making rules. Third, the state solves disputes between employers and employees as intercede. Finally, employers and employees can avoid potential dispute when state intervene. First of all, the state protects employees’ right by implement various policies into workplace. From the point of employer’s view, employer wants the company to running in maximum productivity and efficiency by offering as lower and simpler as possible to employee’s salary working condition. In contract, employees are willing to receive higher reward and better working condition according to their capacity. However, in most cases, employees do not receive equal treatment due to they have relative less bargaining power than employers within employment relations. Basic on this situation, Australian policymaker establish rules including the National Employment Standards...
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...Warriors in the Workplace When it comes to equal pay, the American woman is grounded in a renowned waiting room. But the number on her ticket, the term of her stay, prominently depends on where she lives and to whom she was born (Paquette). Since the 1970s, the wage gap has narrowed to 21 percent by 2014, just 79 percent of what men are paid. Many attempts to further narrow the gap through the passage of bills such as the Paycheck Fairness Act have been stalled by Republicans. In October, California took a big step towards closing the wage gap between men and women, as Governor Jerry Brown signed a pay equity law: one of the toughest in the nation (Hill). Women should be paid equally as much as men for the same work, not less. First off, women need to be able to support their family too. For example, procedures like "raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour [to] help all minimum wage workers make ends meet and disproportionately assist women, who make up 63% of this group”(Van Hollen). A woman can work just as hard as a man at her job all day, possibly longer than another man, and yet she still makes less than him. That should not be allowed, it's just not...
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...Statutory responsibilities and rights of employees and employers National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Regulations 2011 offers protection from being exploited by employers by setting a minimum wage which employers must pay for the work that you do. There are different levels of National Minimum Wage which apply to you depending upon your age and whether you are an apprentice. The current rates per hour (from the 1st October 2011) are: £6.08 – the main rate for workers aged 21 and over £4.98 – the rate for those aged 18-20 £3.68 – the rate for those aged 16-17 £2.60 – the rate for apprentices under 19 or aged 19 or over in the first year of their apprenticeship. If you are of compulsory school age then you are not entitled to the National Minimum Wage. Working Time Regulations mean that adult workers cannot be forced to work more than 48 hours a week on average. You are able to work more than 48 hours per week, as long as this does not exceed an overall average of 48 hours per week over a 17 week period. A normal working week, in which the 48 hour limit applies can include the following: job-related training job-related travelling time (for example, if you are a sales representative) working lunches (for example, business lunches) time spent working abroad if you work for a UK-based company paid and some unpaid overtime time spent on call at the workplace (for example in a care setting or nursing setting). Workbook 1 ...
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...Back State Wage Increases by Reid J. Epstein (Source: Wall Street Journal) Hien Nguyen E200: Fundamentals of Economics T, R 1.15-2.30 Professor Srinivasan October 21, 2014. Some Republicans Back State Wage Increases Introduction In the article “Some Republicans Back State Wage Increases” by Reid J. Epstein, government currently make the minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. At this rate, jobs are elastic in the market because small business and big business are still can manage their budget to hire more employees. President Barack Obama’s call to increase the federal minimum wage with the purpose is increase the income per person in the household. Republicans believe if the federal minimum wage continues raise above $7.25 or more, then jobs are not available much more than right now. Economists believe raise the minimum wage is not a good way to help people survive under the high cost of living. It will not encourage people spend more on their income because the cost of everything in the market will raise as much as minimum wage increase. Therefore, some states like Alaska and Arkansas have been raised the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 above the federal minimum wage. The raised in the minimum wage of these state have not make any different in the change of income. Opposite, jobs are become less available or require higher qualification for employee. Using Economic Concepts to Understand the Negative Side Of Raising the Federal Minimum Wage Economic key...
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