The United States is a paradise for people searching for employment as it opens a new door of opportunities for candidates from every field. The country welcomes thousands of people every year trying to make a living.
American soil serves as a haven for employment seekers from around the world. With countless job opportunities and better education, it decorates lives with hope. But there’s no denying that several flaws exist in the American employment system. The country’s employment law has issues. Some employers use these loopholes to exploit their employees. This ruins careers and can be mentally and emotionally draining to the workforce.
This blog will discuss the common employment law issues in the U.S. that keep employees from reaching their potential.
Discrimination
Discrimination is a prevalent problem in workplaces around the United States. Numbers suggest that nearly 61% of employees face discrimination at their workplaces. Discrimination can be of different types and forms. A worker might feel discriminated against based on religion, color, nationality, gender, or disability. Many leading employers in the U.S. have antitermination laws to tackle being laid off based on discrimination, but that does not keep employers from discriminating.
It's important to understand that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act makes it illegal to discriminate against anyone based on color, religion, nationality, or gender. This law also defends employees against retaliation for going forward with a claim regarding discrimination at a workplace.
Minimum Wage
Minimum wage disputes have been common across the United States. Research conducted in 2020 suggests that nearly 865,000 workers had wages below the federal minimum of $7.25 per hour. According to the law, employers are required to pay at least the minimum wage to the employees. It’s important to understand that the wage doesn’t include any costs the employee is expected to bear on their own.
Harassment
As common as this issue is, a permanent solution doesn’t seem to exist. Employees, especially females, face harassment in the U.S. consistently. Many employees, even those working in culturally diverse and forward-thinking multinational companies, have reported such incidents. Workplace harassment can be divided into two categories:
1. Quid Pro Harassment – when a worker is asked for a sexual favor in response to, say, a promotion
2. Hostile Work Environment Harassment – often created by the bosses creating challenging circumstances for the workers.
Wrongful Termination
Wrongful termination has been widely reported by employees working in different sectors. It is one of the most brutal, below-the-belt forms of workplace retaliation practiced in the country. Every year, nearly 150,000 workers are terminated across the U.S. These terminations are mainly based on discrimination or as a measure to cater to wrongful retaliation against the employees. Very rarely does it have to do with business strategy (downsizing, cost cutting, etc.).
Workers from different walks of life face workplace retaliation every day in one way or the other. The only way to counter this issue is to have sufficient knowledge about your rights as an employee. By understanding the basics of American employment laws, you can fight for your rights and possibly for others.
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