• Labor management law is a complex web of regulation.work image by Alison Bowden from Fotolia.com
  
  In today's business climate, lawmakers are constantly looking for new ways to protect the labor force. As such, businesses may find themselves subject to a variety of types of labor management laws. These may include, but are not limited to, laws pertaining to pay, discrimination and working conditions.
  
  

Compensation Regulation

• Federal and state entities heavily regulate how much you pay your employees. On a federal level, the minimum wage in the United States is $7.25 an hour. The states further complicate the process. Alaska, Connecticut, D.C., California, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington require a minimum wage that is higher than the federal minimum wage. In these cases, the state minimum wage must be adhered to. The Employee Retirement Income Security Act also regulates how benefits are extended, requiring that companies stand by their promises of retirement benefits and match employee contributions when indicated.
  
  

Discrimination Regulation

• Federal and state laws prohibit discrimination in the labor force on a variety of levels. On a federal level, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Pay Act of 1963, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, Title I and Title V of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Sections 501 and 505 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 and the Civil Rights Act of 1991 establish strict guidelines for preventing discrimination. Complaints pertaining to violation of these laws are handled by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. States may take discrimination prevention even further. States like Minnesota, New Jersey and Kentucky have put laws into place that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, familial status or tobacco use.
  
  

Working Condition Regulation

• There are a plethora of laws pertaining to workplace conditions for the labor force. Federally, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration oversees the implementation and enforcement of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, which requires that employees be properly trained and informed regarding safety on the job, and that employers effectively maintain a safe workplace. States also regulate working conditions, requiring that individuals working shifts of certain lengths be given a certain amount of breaks during the day.