Workplace laws

Federal laws require employers to act fairly and protect the health of employees. Review this chart for an overview of the most common laws.

The Department of Labor provides more in-depth explanations of labor laws.

Federal labor laws

Information about	Labor law or act	Protections	Agency
Age discrimination	Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967	Protects employees and applicants over 40 from discrimination based on age	Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Disability discrimination	Americans with Disabilities Act	Prohibits discrimination against workers with disabilities. It requires employers to make reasonable accommodations	Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Equal pay between men and women	Equal Pay Act	Requires men and women in the same position to receive equal pay for equal work	Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Discrimination or harassment based on race, color, sex, age, nationality, genetic information, retaliation for reporting discrimination or harassment	Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964	Prohibits discrimination or harassment based on personal characteristics	Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Leave to care for family members or for medical leave	Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)	Allows eligible employees to take unpaid leave to care for family or personal medical reasons. Protects their job and health benefits	Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division
Minimum wage, overtime, child labor	Fair Labor Standards Act	Establishes a minimum wage, requires employers to pay overtime, regulates child labor conditions	Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division
Workplace safety, retaliation for whistleblowing	Occupational Safety and Health Act	Requires you to work in a safe workplace	Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Migrant and seasonal agricultural workers	Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA)	Gives migrant workers rights and resources regardless of immigration status	Department of Labor

State labor laws

Each state sets laws related to fair employment and workplace safety. In most cases, state laws offer more protections than the federal ones.

Contact your state department of labor to learn about the labor laws in your state. If you live and work in different states, or work remotely in a different state from your employer, check the laws in both states.

LAST UPDATED: December 11, 2023

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