Important Employment Laws

This is the last part of this chapter. We cannot cover all of the employment laws that might affect your library. We will give you a short description of a few employment laws and what they do. These descriptions are not intended to fully explain the law, but to send up some "warning signals" of areas that you should be concerned about.

US Department of Labor - Minimum Wage Information

Minimum wage - federal and state: Almost all library workers will fall under the federal minimum wage laws. Make sure that you are paying them at minimum wage or more.

Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)

Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): This includes the federal minimum wage, and it also lists requirements for overtime pay and compensatory (comp) time. It also prohibits covered employees from contributing volunteer hours to their place of employment. The Fair Labor Standards Act also includes child labor provisions, which set certain limitations on the use of juveniles as employees. If you use students under 18 years of age as pages, you should be aware of these restrictions.

Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Law

State and Federal Civil Rights Laws: Prohibits employers from discriminating on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in hiring, promotion, and other employment policies.

Federal Age Discrimination Act Information

Age Discrimination Employment Act (ADEA): Prohibits employers from discriminating on account of age. The protected age group is 40 years old and older.

ADA Home Page

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): Strengthens prohibitions on discrimination against the disabled and requires employers to make their facilities accessible to the disabled and to make reasonable changes in their accommodations for the employment of disabled people.

U.S. Immigration Support

The Immigration Reform and Control Act: Requires that employees complete an I-9 form within three days of starting work, verifying their identity and authorization to work. Employers may condition an offer of employment on the successful applicant's completing the form, but may not specify what documents must be used to complete the form.

Federal Family and Medical Leave Act

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA): Allows employees to take up to 12 work weeks of paid or unpaid leave for certain medical and family reasons. It requires that employees taking such leave be allowed to return to their original job or an equivalent job with equivalent pay, benefits, and other employment terms and conditions.

ASPeN: The New Library Directory

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