There are various federal agencies and initiatives that seek to address labor law issues. These organizations work with employment lawyers to find a better legal framework to protect the relationship between employers and employees. An employment lawyer may work for or with these organizations. These bodies are described below.
US Department of Labor
The United States Department of Labor is the main federal agency dealing with labor-related matters. It deals with issues related to unemployment, retirement, working conditions, employee health care, changes in the work environment, unions and working hours. They work with employment lawyers, employer organizations, employee unions, politicians, and the general public to provide the ideal environment for employees and employers.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is a branch of the federal government that collects a wide variety of employment-related statistics. They collect information on market wages and salary rates for different professions, working conditions in the public and private sectors, and employment-related suites. The statistics collected are important to federal job-related decisions. The organization works with unions, employment lawyers and other labor stakeholders to obtain accurate information for government decision-making. An employment lawyer may also use statistics from this organization for his or her research and other legal work.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is a federal agency that seeks to enforce anti-discrimination laws. Certain special groups of people are protected by federal law from discrimination by employers. These special groups of people include people with physical disabilities, gender discrimination, pregnancy discrimination, racial discrimination, and religious discrimination. Federal law also protects against discrimination for people over the age of forty. The EEOC seeks to enforce these laws by informing employees of their rights and auditing employers to ensure that they adhere to these laws. An employment lawyer can seek help from this organization when faced with a discriminatory case.
Coordinator of Agricultural Labor Affairs (ALAC) – Agricultural Labor Laws
The ALAC works under the umbrella of the Office of the Chief Economist. The association is a federal agency that works to review and coordinate all matters affecting farm labor. It handles issues related to long working hours during the harvest period, health issues affecting workers in the agricultural sector, labor migration, and minimum wages for employees in the agricultural sector, among many other agriculture-related issues.
child labor organization
There are many agencies, federal laws, and state laws that seek to protect children from child labor. The child labor provisions of the Act give strict guidelines regarding working hours and working conditions for children under 16 years of age. The 17 Hazardous Occupations Order establishes what is safe for these children. In addition to federal and state initiatives, there are international laws that protect children from illegal child labor.
Internet-Related Federal Employment Initiatives
E-law advisers are Internet-based advisers who provide legal advice to citizens seeking to obtain such advice. Websites take questions and answer them within a certain period of time. People can also search for answers to previous questions asked by others with a similar need. An employment attorney may volunteer time to provide answers to questions posed on these websites.