US Employment Law and Regulations Flashcards
Highest law in the country
The Constitution
Actions passed by legislative bodies
Statutes
Proposed/enforced by administrative agencies, reflect how laws will be implemented
Regulations
Interpret how laws and regulations will be enforced, through interpretations, policy statements, letters, etc. to explain/supplement regulations and statutes
Agency Guidelines
Directive by Chief Executive of government unit, telling how it will act/interact with its community
Executive Orders
Based on court decisions, recognized on federal level and nearly all states
Common Law
Covers an org against claims by employees, former employees, and candidates alleging their legal rights in the employment relationship have been violated
Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI)
Prohibits discrimination against job applicants based on national origin or citizenship, and at the same time, establishes penalties for hiring undocumented workers
Immigrant Reform and Control Act (IRCA)
Immigrant Visa for which employers do not need to test US labor market to determine there are no minimally qualified US workers for these jobs
EB-1 (Priority workers)
Immigrant Visa for which employers must test the US labor market through a labor certification application to determine whether there are minimally qualified US workers for the position. Foreign nationals are required to have a job offer and a master’s degree
EB-2
Immigrant Visa for which employers are required to complete the labor certification process, and job requires a bachelor’s degree or skilled workers of 2+ years’ experience
EB-3
Permitted to enter US to engage in business activities, but may not be gainfully employed by a US org
Business Visitor, B-1
Temporary visa reserved for professionals who come to US for limited time. Must have baccalaureate degree that is required for the position, and must be paid same wage rates of US workers in the same role
H-1B
Aliens working for foreign employer transferred to US parent, subsidiary, or affiliate org. Must have held specialized knowledge, management, or exec position 1 of the last 3 years
L-1 (Intracompany Transferee)
Aliens in countries with which US has commerce, navigation, and investment treaties. Come to the US to work for companies investing or trading in the US.
E-1 and E-2 (Treaty Investors and Traders)
Visa specific to Australian citizens and applies to similar positions as H-1B
E-3
Visa for full time university, college, high school, or elementary school students who study at a school approved by the USCIS
F-1
Citizens of Canada or Mexico whose occupations appear on North American Free Trade Agreement schedule and have necessary education/experience
TN
Visa for persons of extraordinary ability in the arts, sciences, education, business, or athletics with sustained national/international acclaim
O Visas
Cultural exchange visitors who come to the US to work temporarily
Q Visas
Requirements to petition for an employee’s H-1B Visa
- before initiating application process, org must make good faith attempts to recruit US residents
- H-1B nonimmigrants may be admitted for up to 3 year period
What is true of hiring Deferred Action or Childhood Arrivals (DACA) employees?
if employee’s employment authorization documentation expires, org can no longer employ
Employment At-Will
Employers have the right at any time, with or without prior notice, to hire, fire, demote, or promote whomever they choose for any or no reason. Employees also have the right to quit a job at any time, for any reason, with or without notice.
Regulates use and collection of consumer credit information to protect privacy of background info and ensure its accuracy. Calls for full disclosure of consumer reports so that individuals can dispute.
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) provisions
- written notice and authorization required
- pre-adverse action - applicant must be provided with copy of report and reasonable time to present evidence to challenge
- adverse action - must give notice that such action has been taken
- certifications to credit bureaus - require employers to certify they are in compliance with FCRA
Amends the FCRA - employer who uses a 3rd party to conduct investigation no longer needs to follow consent and disclosure requirement before commencing investigation if it involves suspected misconduct, violation of law, or violation of pre-written employer policy
Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act)
People who are covered under a particular federal, state, or local antidiscrimination law
Protected Class
Applicant or employee is treated differently because of their membership of a protected class
Disparate Treatment
When a policy that appears to be neutral has a discriminatory effect. Usually unintentional, results in unequal consequences
Disparate Impact
EEOC Complaint Process
- EEOC charge filed
- EEOC notifies respondent of charge via letter
- EEOC sends respondent copy of the charge
- Employer is requested to submit a written response to the charge and/or EEOC’s request for info. May schedule a fact-finding conference
- EEOC reviews charge and assesses for reasonable cause
What happens if EEOC finds reasonable cause
EEOC attempts conciliation, respondent is required to provide remedies to settle. Result is settled or may go to litigation.
What happens if EEOC does not make a determination
Charging party has right to request right-to-sue letter after 180 days, then must file suit in court within 90 days.
What happens if EEOC does not find reasonable cause
EEOC notifies both parties, charging party is notified of right to sue, and EEOC involvement ends.
Passed to bring about equality in hiring, transfers, promotions, compensation, access to training, etc.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
Title VII provisions
- in recruiting, hiring, and advancement, job requirements must be uniformly and consistently applied to persons of all races
- employees who belong to a protected class cannot be segregated by physically isolating from other employees or customer contact
- harassment/hostile work environment unlawful
- compensation equality
Amended Title VII and gave the EEOC authority to back up its admin findings and conduct its own enforcement litigation
Equal Employment Opportunity Act
Amended Title VII to prohibit discrimination on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, requiring employers to treat the same as any other temporary disibility
Pregnancy Discrimination Act
Under the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures, when does adverse impact occur?
When the selection rate for an employment decision works to the disadvantage of a protected class - selection rate for the protected class is less than 80% of the rate for the class with the highest selection rate
What employers can do when the 80% rule is violated
- analyze data more rigorously to determine adverse impact
- use another procedure demonstrated to have lesser adverse impact
- modify the procedure to eliminate adverse impact
- validate the job-relatedness of the selection procedure
- justify the procedure as business necessity
Case that set the standard for when an employer establishes an employment practice, must be able to justify its actions as being job-related and consistent with a business necessity. Practices, procedures, and tests that appear neutral at face and intent but result in a discriminatory effect on a protected class without that justification are illegal.
Griggs v. Duke Power
One of the first cases to apply the sex discrimination provision of Title VII to employment decisions. An employer may not, in the absence of business necessity, refuse to hire women with preschool aged children while hiring men with such children.
Phillips v. Martin Marietta Corp
Criteria for disparate treatment established by the McDonnell Douglas v. Green case
- belong to a protected class under Title VII
- applied to a job for which employer was seeking applicants
- were rejected despite being qualified
- were rejected and the employer kept looking for people with their qualifications
Allows employees who win a discrimination case to collect punitive and compensatory damages
Civil Rights Act of 1991
Federal contract or subcontract of >$150,000 required to take affirmative action to employ and advance employment in specific categories of veterans, and prohibits discrimination of such veterans
Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act
Prohibits discrimination in every aspect of employment against employees and applicants age 40 and over
Age Discrimination in Employment Act
Amended the Age Discrimination in Employment Act to prohibit discrimination in employee benefits and waivers of claims for employee’s right to sue
Older Workers Benefit Protection Act
Prohibits discrimination against a qualified individual with a disability because of their disability. Applies to employers with 15 or more employees, but not the federal government as an employer.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Primary job duties a qualified individual must be able to perform, either with or without reasonable accommodation
Essential Functions
Expands interpretation, making much easier for individuals to demonstrate that they meet the definition of disability
ADA Amendments Act