Labor laws - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages The best means of establishing a regulatory system that could protect employees against exploitation was through via the legal system that has already been established and holds valid authority on such matters. The legal system established a set of labor laws that were meant for this purpose and designed to fight for the “Average Joe” so to speak. Labor laws can be described as a set of rules that govern the relationship between an employee and their employer and have been designed to act as a baseline of what is expected from both parties (Ewing, McColgan & Collins, 2005). It can be said that these laws exist because frictionless economic efficiency can often operate to the disadvantage of the employed, even to the point of the violation of the basic civil rights of the employed. However, the role and structure of labor laws will have to be examined to determine whether the above statement contains any truth. By taking an in-depth look at the labor laws and role they play for both parties (that is, the employer and the employed) one is able to establish the essentiality of the existence of labor laws. Why Labor Laws Exist In order to properly understand the topic of discussion it is important for one to understand why labor laws were introduced into the legal system and the reason for their creation (Selwyn, 2008). There are a number of reasons that one can find for the existence of labor laws and by observing the main ones, one is able to visualize the need for these kind of regulation to be set in place. There can be said to be three main reasons why labor laws exist, these three reasons cover all the parties involved and the main angles that the subject can studied from. They include: 1. Employee Protection Labor laws exist to ensure that individuals working for organizations are not exploited as a result of their inability to stand up for themselves due to the size of the opposition. Labor laws are put in place to ensure that every employee is able to enjoy their basic needs and rights despite their various positions and circumstances and provides a tool that can be wielded against companies that may attempt to mistreat their employees. This can in fact be said to be the main reason behind the emergence of labor laws (Befort & Budd, 2009). The existence of these laws ensures that employees are treated fairly in their place of work and are not bullied by the large organizations in any context or form. The resources and clout that some large organizations hold in the society and business world would have meant that few individuals would have been successful fighting for their rights unless they had an equally influential backing supporting their cause. This backing has been offered by the labor laws that exist in the country (Ewing, McColgan & Collins, 2005). A good example of such protection is seen in excerpts of the existing labor laws such as the issue of Minimum Wage which entails the least amount of money that an individual can be paid for their work (Keshawn & Arn, 2005). This ensures that a company does not exploit individuals in financial trouble by offering them unfair remuneration for the work that they have put in knowing that in some situations some may not have a ...Download file to see next pagesRead More