Court Cases and Legislative Summary Flashcards
Payne v. The Western & Atlantic Railroad Company (1884)
Defined employment at will.
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) (1869)
Established to study industrial accidents and maintain accident records. Currently provide data from employers throughout the US and make info available on the web. Include unemployment rate, occupational outlook, demographics, and wages by area and occupation. Provides the JOLTS report.
Sherman Antitrust Act (1890)
Controlled business monopolies; allowed court injunctions to prevent restraint of trade. Used to restrict unionization efforts.
Clayton Act (1914)
Limited the use of injunctions to break strikes; exempted unions from the Sherman Act.
Federal Employes Compensation Act (FECA) (1916)
Provided benefits similar to workers’ compensation for federal employees injured on the job.
Railway Labor Act (1926)
Protected unionization rights, allowed for a 90 day cooling off period to prevent strikes in national emergencies. covers railroads and unions.
Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (1927)
Provided workers’ compensation benefits for maritime workers injured on navigable waters of the United States or on piers, docks, and terminals.
Norris - La Guardia Act (1932)
Protected the right to organize; outlawed yellow-dog contracts.
Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA)/Social Security Act (1935)
Required employers and employees to pay Social Security taxes.
Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) (1936)
Required employers to contribute a percentage of payroll to an unemployment insurance fund
Public Contracts Act (PCA) or Walsh-Healey Act (1936)
Required contractors to pay prevailing wage rates
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) (1938)
Defined exempt and nonexempt employees; required and set minimum wage; required time and a half for nonexempt overtime hours; limited hours and type of work for children; established record-keeping requirements
Labor-Management Relations Act (LMRA) or Taft-Hartley Act (1947)
Prohibited closed shops; restricted union shops; allowed states to pass “right to work” laws; prohibited jurisdictional strikes and secondary boycotts; established the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service; allowed an 80-day cooling-off period for national emergency strikes.
National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) or Wagner Act (1935)
Protected the right of workers to organize and bargain collectively; identified unfair labor practices; established the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)
Portal to Portal Act (1947)
Clarified the definition of hours worked for the FLSA
Patent Act (1952)
Established the US Patent and Trademark Office
Labor-Management and Reporting Disclosure Act (LMRDA) or Landrum-Griffin Act (1959)
Controlled internal union operations; provided a bill of rights for union members; required a majority of members to vote to increase dues; allowed members to sue the union; set term limits for union leaders
Equal Pay Act (1963)
Required that employees performing substantially similar or identical work be paid the same wage or salary rate.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (1964)
Established the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC); prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex
EO 11246 (1965)
Prohibited employment discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, or national origin; required affirmative steps for all terms and conditions of employment; required written Affirmative Action Plan (AAP) for contractors with 50 employees.
Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) (1965)
Eliminated national origin, race, and ancestry as bars to immigration; set immigration goals for reunifying families and preference for specialized skills.
Service Contract Act (1965)
Required government contractors to pay prevailing wages and benefits
Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) (1967)
Prohibited discrimination against persons 40 years of age or older; established conditions for BFOQ exceptions.
EO 11375 (1967)
Added sex to the protected classes in EO 11246
Consumer Credit Protection Act (1968)
Limited garnishment amounts on employee wages; prohibited discharge of employees for a single garnishment order.
EO 11478 (1969)
Included disabled individuals and those 40 years of age or older in the protected classes established by EO 11246.
Black Lung Benefits Act (BLBA) (1969)
Provided benefits for coal minders suffering from pneumonconiosis due to mine work.
Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) (1970)
Required employers to provide a safe workplace and comply with safety and health standards. Established OSHA to enforce safety regulations and NIOSH to research, evaluate, and recommend hazard-reducing measures.
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) (1970)
Required employers to notify candidates that credit reports may be obtained; required written authorization by the candidate and that the employer provide a copy of the report to the candidate before taking an adverse action.
Griggs v. Duke Power (1971)
Disparate impact. Required employers show that job requirements are related ot the job; established that lack of intention to discriminate isn’t a defense against claims of discrimination.
Equal Employment Opportunity Act (EEOA) (1972)
Established that complainants have the burden of proof for disparate impact; provided litigation authority for the EEOC (although EEOC was created by Title VII); extended the time to file complaints.
Rehabilitation Act (RA) (1973)
Expanded opportunities for individuals with physical or mental disabilities; provided remedies for victims of discrimination.
Privacy Act (1974)
Prohibited federal agencies from sharing info collected about individuals
Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) (1974)
Provided equal opportunity and affirmative action for Vietnam vets.
Employment Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) (1974)
Established requirements for pension, retirement, and welfare benefit plans including medical, hospital, AD&D, and unemployment benefits.
Albermarle Paper v. Moody (1975)
Required that employment tests be validated; subjective supervisor rankings aren’t sufficient validation; criteria must be tied to job requirements.
NLRB v. J. Weingarten, Inc. (1975)
Established Weigarten rights - union employees have the right to request union representation during any investigatory interview that could result in disciplinary action.
Washington v. Davis (1976)
Established that employment-selection tools that adversely impact protected classes are lawful if they have been validated to show future success on the job.
Copyright Act (1976)
Defined fair use and set the term of copyright effectiveness
Mine Safety and Health Act (MSHA) (1977)
Established mandatory mine safety and health standards and created the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA)
Automobile Workers v. Johnson Controls, Inc. (1977)
Decisions about the welfare of the children must be left to the parents who conceive, bear, support, and raise them, rather than the employers who hire those parents. Employers must inform but never restrict duties of those of childbearing age.
Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures (UGESP) (1978)
Established guidelines to ensure that selection procedures are both job related and valid predictors of job success.
Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) (1978)
Required that pregnancy be treated the same as any other short-term disability.
Revenue Act (1978)
Established Section 125 and 401(k) plans for employees.
EO 12138
Created the National Women’s Business Enterprise Policy; required affirmative steps to promote and support women’s business enterprises.
Guidelines on Sexual Harassment (1980)
Assisted employers to develop antiharassment policies, establish complaint procedures, and investigate complaints promptly and impartially.