Hcs341 Week 2

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 seniority system. A man can get paid more for those reasons, but a woman can also get paid more than a man for those same reasons. This act helps the employees because this way they know they have to be treated equal to others and get paid equal. If their workplace does not do this then they can get in trouble.
The Americans with disabilities act is an act that protects people that have disabilities. It prohibits discrimination toward people who have disabilities in employment, transportation, public accommodation, communications, and governmental activities. There are four departments that enforce the Americans with disabilities act and they are Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Department of Transportation, Federal Communications Commission, and the Department of Justice. This act helps out the work place and the workers. This is because people and go into their job knowing that even if they have a disability they are still wanted at work. Also because if people are looking for work they know they can’t get denied work because they have a disability. It helps the work place out because they are looked at in a better way and the workers know they are safe at their job and well protected because they can’t get fired because they might fall down with a disability or they already have a disability.
The Family and medical leave act is a very important act to most people. This act allows people to take unpaid leave throughout the year for certain reasons and for a certain amount of time rather it is for family or medical reasons. An employee gets 12 work weeks of leave in a one year timeframe. If an employee is going to take unpaid leave it has to be for certain reasons. These reason include child birth or to care for a newborn within a one year of birth, adoption or foster care parent and is in a year of the new placement, to take care of an employee’s spouse, child, or parent because they have a serious health condition, The employee who has a serious health condition and can’t do their job, and if spouse or child is in military and is hurt. Employee’s with a spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin in the military and they get injured they get 26 weeks of leave in a one year span. This impacts the workers and the workplace because they know if something serious comes up they can take leave. This act boosts morale and insures the employee’s they are taken care of and thought of. The employee’s will not have to be stressed out or worried if they can take off for leave or not.
The Drug free workplace act of 1988 is the most important act out there. This act was introduced to make sure no employees will do drugs on their watch. They are supposed to get drug tested every so often. This act was very important to bring aboard because now people will not do drugs in fear of getting caught.
This act helps the workers and the work place in a lot of ways. This is because now people will be in fear to do drugs because they might get drug tested at random times. If they get caught they get fired. It helps the work place because they will have a drug free workplace and more people will want to be an employee there.
All of these acts and laws are very important to the employee’s and to the workplace. They not only change the people but the workplace itself. These acts protect the people and the workplace. These acts look out for the wellbeing of the company and people.

References
National Drug Free Workplace Alliance. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.ndwa.org/editor/assests/federallaw.pdf
The free dictionary by Farflex. (2012). Retrieved from http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/equal+Pay+Act+of+1963
United States Department of Labor. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/disability/ada.htm
United States Department of Labor. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.dol.gov/whd/fmla/

References: National Drug Free Workplace Alliance. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.ndwa.org/editor/assests/federallaw.pdf The free dictionary by Farflex. (2012). Retrieved from http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/equal+Pay+Act+of+1963 United States Department of Labor. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/disability/ada.htm United States Department of Labor. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.dol.gov/whd/fmla/