labor lawAdivision of labor law center

Two recent conferences aimed to improve economic opportunity for workers. The Opportunity Conference in Washington, D.C., promoted opportunities for minority workers in the U.S. The 15^th Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor in Port of Spain, in the nation of Trinidad and Tobago, stressed how the U.S. Department of Labor is working to provide opportunities for American workers as well as those in nearby nations.

“Traditionally underserved communities are often unaware of the tremendous resources available within mainstream America to help them achieve their dreams,” said U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao at a recent conference targeting economic development for minority workers.

“A goal of this conference is to bring everyone together to familiarize entrepreneurs, community organizers, and others with a wide variety of resources,” Chao added. She was speaking at the fifth annual Opportunity Conference, hosted by the U.S. Department of Labor to provide opportunities for members of minority communities.

“This administration recognizes the vital, job-creating role that small and medium-sized enterprises play in our growing economy — representing over 99 percent of employers and providing nearly 83 percent of all private payroll jobs,” Secretary Chao continued. “The Opportunity Conference includes workshops on venture capital for entrepreneurs, marketing and media strategies, and one of the department’s most significant regional grant programs, called Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development.”

The free, one-day business conference in Washington, D. C., included information on how African American, Hispanic and Asian Pacific American entrepreneurs, nonprofits and faith-based organizations can win highly competitive grants and contracts worth millions from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Topics covered at the conference included:

• How entrepreneurs can locate and gain access to venture capital.
• How to apply for government grants.
• Partnership opportunities for faith-based and community organizations.
• Entrepreneurial economic trends.
• How entrepreneurial veterans can apply for loans.
• Financial literacy for ethnic communities.
• Marketing and media strategies for small enterprises and organizations.

A number of co-sponsors had exhibits at the conference, from the Association of Small

Business Development Centers and the League of United Latin American Citizens, to the U.S. Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce.

Participating groups included the Chinese Benevolent Association; the Cuban American National Council, Minority Roundtable,  the National Council of La Raza, and Top Ladies of Distinction Inc.

Meanwhile, in the Caribbean city of Port of Spain, Deputy Undersecretary of Labor for International Affairs Charlotte Ponticelli discussed how the U.S. Department of Labor is working in strategic partnerships with regional economies throughout the United States to ensure a competitive and adaptable workforce in the 21st century.

The theme for the conference was “Making Decent Work Central to Social and Economic Development.” Undersecretary Ponticelli joined officials of labor ministries from the 33 democratically elected governments in the western hemisphere to discuss strategies for increasing access to economic opportunities for the people of the Americas, with a focus on youth and women.

In her remarks to conference participants, Ponticelli discussed how the Labor Department’s Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development, or WIRED grants are addressing regional job growth in the U.S.

 ”WIRED creates a pro-growth environment in regional economies by providing seed funding to strategic partnerships that include leaders in workforce development, economic development, education, business and industry, philanthropic organizations and others across political boundaries, with a goal of driving talent development strategies in support of a unified regional economic vision,” Ponticelli said.

Ponticelli noted that all the conference participants were concerned with high unemployment numbers facing youth. In the United States, 21 percent of 16- to 24-year-olds nationwide, or 3.4 million youth, are out of school and do not have a diploma. The Department of Labor is addressing this issue through a federal interagency collaboration to support states and localities with a wide array of programs serving youth, including employment and training assistance. The existence of exploitive child labor, forced labor and human trafficking runs counter to these objectives and must also be addressed, Ponticelli said.

While browsing on the internet today, I came across the Washington DC Labor Laws. These are numerous and follow along with many of the states’ labor laws. There are several DC Labor Laws which are required to be posted in all work places in the District of Columbia. The DC Labor Law posters must be hung in conspicuous areas throughout the business, so employers normally place them around work areas, break rooms or around the employee time clock.
The easiest of the DC Labor Laws to find deals with the minimum wage and the overtime laws. In Washington DC, the minimum wage has been $7.00 since January 1, 2006. When it comes to overtime pay, employers are required to pay one and one half times the employees normal rate of pay for any time worked over 40 hours in one work week. There are exceptions to both of these laws, and normally deal with students in both college and those minors in high school working. Other exceptions are made for domestic workers and other similar situations.
Employers in Washington DC are also required by law to pay their employees at least two times a month. No more than 10 days can pass between the end of any pay period and the time of payment to the employee. An employer cannot garnish wages of any employee, either, unless it is ordered by the court.
Another DC Labor Law I read makes keeping employee records for 3 years a requirement. This includes information about the employee, as well as detailed records about time worked and salary.
These are just a few of the many DC Labor Laws that you can read up on. Many of the DC Labor Laws can be found on posters in the work place and online. If you want a detailed view of both federal and Washington DC Labor Laws, look for the District of Columbia Complete Labor Law poster.

DC laws cover quite few aspects regarding employment. Workers and employers can both use this information to make informed decisions.

DC laws give workers advice about how to apply for workers’ compensation or unemployment insurance. They also provide the criteria for eligibility of these types of benefits. In addition Washington D.C has laws which determine which employers are required to pay unemployment benefits or workers’ comp.

In addition to all of the above, DC laws have detailed information regarding safety and hazard laws. In addition, they contain regulations regarding sanitary procedures used in restaurant.

Another aspect included in DC laws is conditions regarding payment of wages, and what is considered actual hours worked. Employers who read these laws also know what the minimum wage is in the District of Columbia, and what type of payments constitute a wage.

DC laws also make it very clear that discrimination based on certain personal identifiers such as gender, race, age, religion, national origin, or disability is wrong. Along with that are provisions within DC laws how to help make the workplace a more fair opportunity for all workers.

There are several reasons why the above DC laws exist. One is so that working conditions in the District of Columbia remain favorable. Another reason why these laws exist is so that employees who live in this area can achieve a desired standard of living.

Achieving a certain standard of living also involves determining the cost of living in an area. DC has a way that they do this with the use of cost of living research conducted every single year.

It is important for both employers and employees to keep up with DC laws. These are updated from time to time and include all the information that workers, industries, and other organizations need. These laws are posted on the premises of most employers.

Labor laws in District of Columbia govern and regulate the laws that regulate employees and employers. These laws are set in place to ensure that basic laws and guidelines cover all workers. In addition, labor laws in District of Columbia make sure that employees are getting the minimum wage and are not working more hours than they are required.

All states must offer their employees a minimum wage per hour. This can be more than the current federal hourly rate, but cannot be less. Labor laws in District of Columbia currently offer employees an hourly minimum rate of $6.15 per hour. There are exceptions to this rule; however, most job positions will pay this rate or more. If you are finding work in the District of Columbia, you should speak to your potential employer about the hourly rate. This should be agreed upon and in writing prior to working any hours.

Another important labor law in District of Columbia concerns the hiring practice of employers. When interviewing prospective employees, there are certain questions that are off limits. An employer cannot choose to disregard an applicant based on non-job related issues including age, race, marital status, sex, disability or religion. In addition, during the interview process, the interviewer is barred from asking certain questions. These include questions about marital status and children, whether or not the applicant will have children in the future, where the person was born and if the person has been arrested.

According to labor laws, there is a fine line between what is acceptable and what is not. For example, while an interviewer cannot ask if you have been arrested, they are allowed to ask if you have been convicted of a crime. Labor laws in District of Columbia are very similar to other labor laws in other states. If you work in the District of Columbia, you should know and understand your rights as an employee.
 

Employers and Employees alike are often interested to know what labor laws apply to them. The legal code of the District of Columbia contains a number of provisions that regulate work situations. Today I’ll give a few highlights of these laws.

Child Labor: The District of Columbia requires work permits for minors under 18 to be employed in any job that is not agricultural or housework-related in nature. The code of the District also regulates the hours of employment for workers under 18, and the types of jobs that minors of various ages may hold.

Family Leave and Medical Leave: If you work in the District of Columbia, you are covered by a Family Leave provision that is more generous than that of the Federal law. Under the District’s code, employees are entitled to 16 weeks of unpaid leave within a 24 month period for such situations as the birth or adoption of a child, or to care for a family member with a serious illness. An unpaid medical leave of 16 weeks is also required to be available to employees who personally have a serious health condition. These regulations apply to any employers with 20 or more employees in the District.

Minimum Wage: In the District there is currently a minimum wage of $6.60 per hour. This will increase to $7 per hour after January 1^st of 2007. If the national minimum wage should be increased, District residents may be in for an additional increase. Under the District code, if the Federal Minimum wage plus one dollar is greater than the set District wage, District employees would receive that higher wage instead.

Payment of Wages: Employers in the District of Columbia must pay their employees at least twice per month. An interval of not more than 10 working days are allowed to elapse between the end of the pay period covered and the next pay day. If there is a contract between an employer and a labor organization representing employees, or if by “custom or contract” an employer has always paid employees less frequently, then employees may be paid as infrequently as once per month.

The District of Columbia also has statutes applying to workers’ compensation, industrial safety, unemployment compensation, lie detector tests, occupational safety and health, the licensing of employment services, and more. For a complete listing of applicable District and Federal labor laws, please see the District of Columbia Complete Labor Law Poster.