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How does the Fair Labor Standards Act help the workplace?

On Behalf of | Sep 6, 2015 | Workers' Compensation |

In the past, unregulated work environments have been the cause of a lot of unfair workplace situations and nationwide issues. Because of people being overworked and underpaid, a number of new laws and regulations had to be developed in order to maintain more balance.

Eventually, labor standards got to the point where they were in need of some serious re-hauling. This is where the Fair Labor Standards Act comes in. This act, used to ensure that the workplace was a fair place for all employees, evened the playing field between employees and employers to a degree. The United States Department of Labor stated that this act is basically the foundational ground that labor fairness standards have since been built on.

Many issues of unfairness in the workplace were fixed due to the FLSA. This includes recordkeeping, payment, and wages. For example, the nationwide minimum wage was established under this act. Overtime pay was also developed because of the act. The maximum and minimum number of hours that a person could work in a week were also determined by the FLSA.

This is considered a good act for both employees and employers. Employees have a basis with which to stand up for themselves if they believe they are being underpaid or overworked. Likewise, employers have guidelines to follow so they can ensure they are treating their employees as fairly as possible.

Some people believe that the standards set in this act have become obsolete by now and are in need of editing to keep up with the times. However, many consider this act a staple of its time and believe that it is because of this act that the workplace can continue to be improved.

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