Labor Law In Detail

It is quite common for the terms "labor law" and "employment law" to be use interchangeably. While they share common terminology, these are two distinct forms of law. Knowing the differences can help employers and employees understand the intricacies better.

Employment law covers all laws, mandates and regulations regarding the employee-employer relationship. Labor law specifically focuses on laws dealing with unions, collective bargaining, and any other issues regarding organized labor.

Employment Law in Detail

The relationship between employees and employers is the core of employment law. There are hundreds of laws at the federal, state, and local levels that affect this relationship. Employers can easily fall afoul of these laws due to not knowing about or understanding what all of it entails.

Minimum wage laws are one of the more visible
Disputes continue to arise in how employees are classified for wages, whether they deserve minimum wage or not. Harassment and discrimination allegations are another frequent problem covered in this area of law.

Labor Law in Detail

Labor law regulates the relationship between businesses and unions. The National Labor Relations Board is the federal agency that serves as an administrative body to regulate labor relations. Problems can arise in regards to collective bargaining, union contracts, labor strikes, and union organization disputes.

Texas is a "right to work" state, where someone can be hired without being part of a union or providing financial support to a union. That does not remove the union from many workplaces. It just makes the relationship between businesses and unions different than in union-friendly states.

This kind of law has grown more complex over the years, even while the number of union members has decreased significantly. This is, in part, due to the growth and influence of public