Equal Pay Act

The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 is a federal law that establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor standards affecting full-time and part-time workers in the private sector and in federal, state, and local governments. The act applies to employees engaged in interstate commerce or in the production of goods for interstate commerce, including employees of an agency of the United States Government. The FLSA regulates the hours that covered employees may work, requires employers to pay covered employees a minimum wage, and prohibits employers from employing children under certain age limits. In addition, the FLSA limits the number of hours that certain workers may work in a week without receiving overtime pay. The FLSA does not apply to all workers; some workers are exempt from its provisions. The Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division is responsible for enforcing the FLSA. Employers who violate the act may be subject to civil or criminal penalties. Contact: Stephen Gleave Ancaster

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) is a federal law that protects workers over the age of 40 from discrimination based on their age. The ADEA applies to all aspects of employment, including hiring, firing, promotion, salary, benefits, and job assignments. Employers are also prohibited from requiring employees to retire at a certain age. Although the ADEA does not explicitly prohibit age-based stereotypes, it does protect workers from being treated differently because of their age. If an employer makes decisions based on stereotypes about older workers, such as assuming that they are not as productive or capable as younger workers, this may be considered unlawful discrimination. The ADEA is enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which investigates complaints and may file lawsuits on behalf of aggrieved individuals. Employees who believe they have been victims of age discrimination can file a charge with the EEOC.

The Equal Pay Act is a federal law that prohibits employers from paying men and women different wages for doing the same job. The law was passed in 1963, and it applies to all employers who are covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act. The Equal Pay Act does not require employers to pay men and women the same salary for every job, but it does require them to pay comparable wages for jobs that are of equal value. For example, an employer could not pay a man more than a woman for doing the same job, but they could pay a man more than a woman for a job that requires more skill or experience. In order to enforce the Equal Pay Act, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigates complaints and files lawsuits on behalf of employees who believe they have been treated unfairly. The Equal Pay Act has helped to close the wage gap between men and women, but there is still more work to be done. In order for women to achieve true equality in the workplace, we need to continue fighting for laws and policies that protect our rights and ensure that we are paid fairly.