Do you know how to find a job that treats you with the respect you deserve? Unfortunately, it’s more difficult than most people realize if you’re a woman. Sure, you can look for employer reviews posted by women, which is often a huge help, but it often isn’t enough. In addition to seeking out employers who respect their female employees, it is important to understand the labor laws and how they affect you.
1. The Fair Labor Standards Act
One of the first laws passed to create better working conditions for women and children (yes, children) was the Fair Labor Standards Act. FLSA was first signed into law near the end of the Great Depression and has been amended more than 20 times since 1938. Some of the components contained in the law include setting a maximum-hour work week (including a differential between part-time and full-time employees and salary and hourly employees), determines federal minimum wage, creates laws for overtime pay, and bans child labor altogether, which was a huge step for mothers at the time.
2. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
When most people think of the Civil Rights Act, they know it recognized people of color as equal to white people. However, it did even more than that. Title VII was the specific act that prohibited employers from discriminating against employees or potential employees based not only on their race but also on their sex. It also prohibits discrimination because of color, national origin, or religion.
3. Equal Pay Act of 1963
Considering that many women still make only 80 cents on the dollar compared to men, the Equal Pay Act of 1963 may come as a surprise to you. However, while it’s clear there are still miles to go to reach true pay equality, the law set forth in 1963 set us on the right patch. The Equal Pay Act was a big step in closing the wage gap, which surely would be much larger now if the act had never been written into law.
4. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act
In 1978, the government took the Civil Rights Act even further by amending it to include the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978. This act states that companies cannot discriminate against people because they are pregnant. This is beneficial because it prevents companies from refusing to hire (or from firing) someone who is pregnant simply to avoid the healthcare and labor costs associated with employing a pregnant person and finding someone to cover the employee’s time off during labor and maternity leave.
5. The Family and Medical Leave Act
Passed in 1993, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) protects families who need to take time off work for specific reasons. Most people who use the benefits of this law do so to take time off work after a child is born into the immediate family. It provides the family with a few weeks to bond with the new baby and to care for him or her. On the plus side, the law covers adoption and guarantees up to 12 weeks of leave and ensures the parent has his or her same position and health benefits. On the downside, the law’s time allotment is much lower than other countries, and only employers with 50 or more employees are required to follow it. FMLA also provides protection for people with severe medical issues, although it is most commonly used by new parents.
While these five laws do offer protection to women in the workforce, they are not nearly enough yet. Depending on the industry you work in, you may find yourself fighting for your rights more often than you’d like, but as long as you are prepared, you can still find a solid place as an employee for an excellent company.
About the Author
Lisa Smith is SEO & Content Marketing Executive at Web Portal Media