Far too often we are all guilty of forgetting just how privileged we are to live and work in the United States. One of the reasons that we are admired worldwide is that as citizens we are granted certain rights and privileges. These rights and privileges extend not only to our personal lives, but our work lives as well. And one of the legal cornerstones from which we derive benefits is the Fair Labor Standards Act.
The FLSA was signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938 and has since provided Americans with many of the benefits that we now accept as fundamental rights. For example, the FLSA is the Act that is responsible for the creation of the minimum wage and the 40-hour workweek regulations. The Act also led to the prohibition of most forms of child labor.
The primary objective of the FLSA is to help workers achieve the minimum standards of living needed for their efficiency, health, and well-being. And while in this day and age, such a humble standard seems like an obvious necessity, it only became a reality after much debate among many parties, including President Roosevelt and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Today, the FLSA protects workers from a variety of unfair actions, including misclassification, minimum wage violations, and denial of meal and rest breaks. So as we can see, we are all the beneficiaries of the work done by those who supported and fought for the FLSA all those years ago.
If you believe your employer has subjected you to treatment that is in violation of this Act, you have every right to have the matter addressed and your dispute resolved. An employee rights attorney could investigate your grievance and advise you on which of your options are likely to produce your best possible outcome.