Chapter 8Worker Rights & Protections

Workforce EssentialsMs. Baumgartner

THURSDAY READING ACTIVITY

EMPLOYER-WORKER RELATIONSPAGE 105 IN TEXTBOOK

READ AS A CLASS

WHY DID THE GENERAL MOTORS WORKERS GO ON STRIKE?

HOW DOES THIS STORY EXPLAIN THE EMPLOYER’S LACK OF RESPECT TOWARDS WORKERS?

8.1 Duties of Employers

• Employers owe certain things to their employees:– Payment for their work– Training & supervision– Orientation to the workplace– Honesty & respect– Fair employment practices– Protection from discrimination– Safe working conditions

8.1 Duties of Employers

• An employer who pays your salary has a right to tell you what to do and how to do it as long as it is not unlawful

• Most employees realize that honesty and respect toward their employees are essential

• Workers are not robots, they are human beings with pride and self-worth

WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN A COMPANY FORGETS ABOUT EMPLOYEES’ FEELINGS?

8.1 Duties of Employers

• Fair Employment Practices– The manners and methods by which employers

deal with their employees• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)– A federal law that applies to employers that do

business in more than 1 states and have annual sales above a certain amount

– FLSA covers • child labor laws • wages and hours• equal pay equal work

8.1 Duties of Employers

• Child Labor– Covers workers under the age of 18• Under 15 can’t work during school hours or in factories

– Most states issue a work permit to those 14-17 years old

– Protects the health and welfare of minors– Regulates type of work they can do

8.1 Duties of Employers

• Wages and Hours– FLSA sets standards for min. wages and max. hours – Minimum wage is the lowest hourly wage the law permits

employers to pay workers– Employers must pay a training wage to workers under the

age of 20 (85% of min. wage)• Allowed to pay this first 90 days of employment

– FLSA sets length of standard workweek • 40 hours during a 7-day period

– Time worked beyond 40 hours is overtime• Paid 1 ½ times their regular rate

• Equal Pay• What if you and another worker…– Worked for same amount of time– Have the same skills– One makes more than the other

– Equal Pay Act of 1963• Made it illegal for different pay scales for same work

8.1 Duties of Employers

• Discrimination– Favoring 1 person as compared to another– Laws protect workers from being discriminated

against by employers• Ex) Not being hired b/c of your race

– Civil Rights Act of 1964• Protects from discrimination based on: race, color,

religion, gender or national origin

• Equal Employment Opportunity– Employers, cannot discriminate against people because of

race, color, religion, sex, or national origin– EEOC makes sure these Civil Rights Acts are followed– Age Discrimination Act of 1967 (added to Civil Rights Act)

• Keeps companies from discriminating against people ages 40-70– Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (added to Civil Rights Act)

• Protected people with physical or mental disabilities– Americans with Disabilities Act (1992)

• Gives civil rights to people with disabilities– Family and Medical Leave Act

• Requires companies with 50+ employees to approve up to 12 weeks unpaid leave per year without being fired

8.1 Duties of Employers

• Affirmative Action– Set of policies and programs designed to correct

past discrimination– Most AA programs include special efforts to hire

and promote women, members of minority groups, people with disabilities, and Vietnam veterans

– To make up for unfair decisions made in the past

8-1 Checkpoint

1. What are the duties of employers?2. Why should employers treat employees with

respect and honesty?3. Name 3 areas that the FSLA covers4. Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes discrimination

illegal if based on what 5 areas? What 2 others were added in 1967 and 1973?

8.2 Worker Safety & Health

• Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)– Government agency that sets and enforces standards for safe

and healthful working conditions• All workplaces shall be kept as clean as the nature of the work allows• Caution signs, warnings, sharp objects kept out of way, proper

uniforms

– OSHA makes random inspections of work places– If hazards are found, employers can be fined and/or business

shut down– 2 ETHICAL DECISION READINGS: PG 108, 111

Protecting New Workers

• New employees are more likely to get hurt

• Statistics– 27 out of 100 scaffolding workers said they had no

training on safety before beginning work– 71 out of 100 workers who suffered head injuries

claimed they had no instructions about hard hats

What Workers Can Do

• Never use a tool or equipment that does not have a safety guard attached

• Use earplugs at all times if needed• Do not “horse around” in the workplace• Be extra careful when you get tired—avoid

accidents• Find out what chemicals you are working with

before handling them• YOU are responsible for your own safety

CHAPTER GRADED ACTIVITIES

• NOTES (all filled in) & 8-1 Checkpoint Q’s

• MATH CONNECTION: PG 112

• CHAPTER 8 ASSESSMENT: 1, 4, 6-14 (definitions and answers)

• WORKSHEETS