Laws in the Employment Sector - Research Paper Example

 Laws in the Employment Sector There are several laws in the employment sector to ensure fairness between the employee and the employer. A healthy employer and employee relationship would always result in increased productivity in the business and the national economy as well. This work focuses on employment laws with regards to the health and safety, unions, discrimination, privacy and job security among others. United states among other nations ensure that the rights of employees are protected even while in their workplaces (Holland, 2007). The law sets a certain framework with which some industrial cases can be solved. Industrial researchers lament that the majority of employers were exploited by their rich and influential employers due to lack of appropriate laws to protect the employees. To date, there have been scenarios where multi-million companies are closed or charged for violating some employees’ rights. However, the laws are also meant to mean to protect the employer on any false allegations by the employee for compensations. The employment Act of the United States ensures that the employer would appreciate the health of his/her employees for increased productivity and national economy development. The government appreciates the fact that the nation can only be built by healthy citizens. The government is strict on expectant employees. The law compels the employer, either public or private sector to allocate a reasonable duration for the expectant employee to deliver then later return to work. The law further requires the male, whose wife is expecting a special leaf to accompany or comfort the wife during her maternity. The employee is entitled to full payment during the maternity and paternity leave. This law took time to be implemented more so in the private sector. The companies’ attorneys argued that the employee should be subjected to a half salary scheme during the leave. But the final verdict compelled the employer to offer full payment to both their male and female employees. Employees’ health must be insured by reputable insurance companies as per the contracts. This is to enable the employees and their family member’s access health care in any private or public hospitals depending on the insurance bonds. The law requires that all workers in a certain organization should have health insurance despite the role he/she plays in the organization (Jean, 2000). A few decades ago, only specialized professionals enjoyed health insurance. But the law intervened and currently, all employees despite the experience or academic background are entitled to health insurance. The law also compels the employee to cater for the employee treatment bills in case of accidents and injuries within the working institution. This law has compelled several employers to ensure their employees work in a safe environment. Companies ensure there is enough light, air circulation and space to limit chances of accidents or injuries. The law requires that every employee should be subjected to clean and healthy environment to boost the employees’ productivity. Furthermore, employees in industrial or machinery environment should wear protective clothing like goggles, helmets, boots and overalls among others. This is to protect workers from minor injuries in their respective workplaces. There should working fire extinguishers in work places as a disaster preparedness response. Finally, the law requires the availability of fully equipped first aid kits to provide first aid or primary treatment in case of emergencies in such workplaces. The law recognizes unions or cooperatives in the work places. This implies several employees in a certain organization or from different organizations with but with same interests forming defined groups of a certain number of individuals to run a specific saving scheme. The employees are entitled to some loans by the company and run their parallel business from that of the parent organization. The law requires any development or asset by the unions to remain employee and not employer property. Furthermore, the law allows the parent company to buy some shares or contribute to the unions’ bossiness capital. However, major decisions are to be made by the union through its leaders, Chairman and the board. However, employees should join such unions at their own will, no one should be forced to me a member of any cooperative or workers’ union. The company can deduct a reasonable amount of a certain worker wages and direct it to the union, just as it does with NHIF among other deductions. The law ensures that the employee has the right to live his/her private life while in a certain working place. This law was meant to limit cases of forceful sexual relationships between the employee and their bosses, who may be fellow employees or the employers. The employee has the right to report such instances to the nearest homeland security office for legal actions to be taken. However, the law has to protect the employers from fake allegations by the employee aiming at compensations. The law requires that such cases should further be reported in the nearest public or private hospitals for checkups. The medical report should then be handed to the homeland security, and the attorneys determine the strength of the cases. Job security is a great concern of the law. An employee can only be sacked after a three month prior notification. Furthermore, the company or the employee should meet end off fee as stipulated in the contract. There have been allegations that majority of employers, more so in the private sector fire and hire employees on a willing merit (Walsh, 2009). The law ensures that any employee is entitled to job security, in that a special and defined procedure should be followed before one is relieved of his/ her duties. The law further protects the adults from forced retirement before the age of 55. Any retiring employee should be provided by a pension scheme, NHIF and appropriate send off package as per the employment contract. He or she must be given his total accumulations of shares and interests in companies’ cooperatives or unions. Furthermore, the law requires that any employee with intentions to resign should submit his or her resignation letters at least a month before the actual resignation time. This would enable the company or employer make prior adjustments before such time. Employment law is thought to have some negative effects on the general operations of the businesses of the company. Paternity leave for instance are considered to be both time and resource wastage. We live in a generation with a high birth rate, this implies that at least one employee would be entitled such leave on a weekly basis (Plaisance, 2008). In some scenarios, such employees subjected to maternity and paternity leave may be experienced in a certain sector such that their absence might cost the co0mpany a great deal. The Job security law requires the employee to remain employed, provided his /her contract duration is not over, this might have negative implications to the business or the company should productivity of such workers depreciate. However, some laws are considered to have positive implications when it comes to the operations of the business or company. Health and safety laws are meant to keep the employees healthy and sound in mind so that they can contribute to the success of the respective company and to national development in general. It does not require rocket science knowledge to realize and appreciate that company’s productivity is a subject of the employees’ health. There some benefits that comes with adherence to employment law. Implementations of several employee laws are like a motivation for the workers. Any employee would always work extra hard when subjected to friendly and safe working environment, maternity and paternity leave, health insurance and protections a against sexual exploitations by their bosses or employers. The government appreciates the operations of workers unions or cooperation. These schemes ensure the workers make extra earning from interests among other benefits. Workers unions also enable the workers air their complaints or petitions as a team or unit. More considerations or weight is given to union other than individuals’. At this juncture, this work will focus on a certain real scenario where a company improved in its productivity after proper implementation of the employment laws (Moffat, 2006). According to 2007 Forbes magazine, Toshiba, a technology company registered about 3.5 % annual income increase by enabling workers to willingly form unions or cooperatives. Workers were motivated and later gave their best to increase the company’s productivity. This move also attracted more customers since external stakeholders would wish to be associated with companies having good working relationships with their bosses or employers. References Holland, J. (2007). Employment Law. London: Oxford University. Jean, C. (2000). Media ethics and accountability system. New Jersey: Transaction publishing. Moffatt, J. (2006). Employment Law. London: Oxford University press. Plaisance, P. (2008). Media Ethics: Key principles of responsibility. New York: SAGE publications. Walsh, D. (2009). Employment law for human resource practice. New York: Cengage Learning. Read More