Labor Laws: Occupational Health and Safety Act & Fair Labor Standards Act

The Occupational Health and Safety Act (OSHA) on one hand, specifies the duties, and responsibilities of workers and supervisors at workplaces. The Act aims at ensuring that all employers are safe at all times. All the working spaces are supposed to have internal responsibility systems where everyone works together to enhance the principles of safety. Organizations are expected to ensure that the employers are provided with instructions, supervision, and information about the dangers and hazards. Further, they should make sure that employees follow the law, health, and safety procedures and policies. Finally, the Act states that management should do everything possible to protect the employees from being hurt or sustaining any work-related illness. The supervisors must also provide information to the staff about the health and safety risks, ensuring that all the employees wear protective equipment and clothing required. Moreover, they should identify hazards and address them. The workers are also expected to follow the regulation and procedures as specified in the Acts. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), on the other hand, sets the minimum wage for employees, the overtime pay, the youth employment standards, and safekeeping of pay-related records. FLSA regulates both the private and the government sectors to guarantee fair compensation for the labor provided. The two Acts have a positive impact on employees because workers feel valued when their work environment is safe, and when they are fairly remunerated according to the (FLSA) guidelines. They are motivated which eventually leads to increased productivity. The two laws are extremely important because, without them, the employees can be exposed to labor conditions that are dangerous or not favorable for working. Additionally, the FLSA Act prevents unscrupulous companies from exploiting their employees financially. Both labor laws are effective since most of the employers have complied with the requirements because they do not want to be subjected to unnecessary litigations.