U.S. Employee Laws

Written by Max | Edited by Rory Hart

Last updated on Aug 14, 2023

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Employee shaking hands with his boss over employment agreement

Assembled by Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD

(For information about employee laws in Canada, see the Human Resources Development Canada website.)

This section of the library provides miscellaneous information which may be helpful as an overview of various aspects of business law in the United States of America. Businesses designing personnel policies should obtain advice from an attorney specializing in the area of employee laws. Businesses requiring legal advice regarding potential or current litigation should seek counsel from an attorney.

Note that employee laws apply the same to for-profit and nonprofit organizations.

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Brief Overview and History of Various Employee Laws

There are a variety of federal laws, executive orders, etc., regarding the selection and treatment of individuals in the workplace. Most notable are federal laws established by the Employee Law — Civil Rights Act of 1964, designed to ensure equal employment opportunity (EEO). Numerous EEO guidelines are intended to provide equal opportunities without regard to race, religion, origin, sex, age, or disability. The guidelines also established requirements for affirmative action, specifying that employers had to take proactive measures to ensure equal opportunity for certain protected groups. Various other laws are designed to ensure safety in the workplace, fair pay standards, and fair treatment of employees providing military service.

The following brief, historical overview might give the reader some initial perspective on employee laws
Information on Federal Labor Laws and Their History

Major Topics and Issues

(Note that some or all of the following topics may be addressed in the section “Major Employee Laws”
provided below.)

Major Employee Laws

The following is a list of many of the major employment-related laws. (Note that related information about the following laws may also be included in the above section “Major Topics and Issues“.)

Employee Contracts

Contracts with Employees (about “at will” employment, and includes sample contract)

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Max

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