In A Well-Written Paper Relate Your Professional Or Personal

In A Well Written Paper Relate Your Professional Or Personal Experien

In a well-written paper, relate your professional or personal experience in the business world as an employee or employer and an ethical issue you confronted that falls within the realm of employment law. For example, you could write about your experience working long hours as a minor in violation of federal wage and hour laws. If you have not personally or professionally confronted an issue, consider an issue that could arise within the realm of employment law and describe it. Be sure that your focus is twofold: first, on an area of employment law and second, on a potential ethical issue within that area of law. Address the following in your paper: Identify and clearly define the relevant law, either defining a legal doctrine, provisions of a law, or elements of a specific cause of action. Apply facts from your situation to the applicable law, doctrine or cause of action studied. Identify any related ethical issues. Your paper should be 2-3 pages in length, not including the title or references pages. 12 Point Times New Roman Double Spaced with 3 APA style references 1" margins. No added space between paragraphs. American Grammar required! If you can't write a decent freshman English college sentence, please do not handshake as it will be disputed.

Paper For Above instruction

Understanding employment law is crucial for both employees and employers to navigate ethical issues and legal obligations effectively. This paper explores a personal experience related to employment law, emphasizes its legal framework, and discusses the ethical considerations involved.

My personal experience involves working long hours as a young intern at a retail store, which raised concerns related to federal wage and hour laws. Federal law, primarily governed by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, and working hours regulations to protect workers from exploitation. Under the FLSA, minors are subject to specific restrictions on working hours and conditions to ensure their health, safety, and well-being (U.S. Department of Labor, 2020). In my case, working beyond the legally permissible hours as a minor such as during school days or exceeding the maximum allowed hours per week violates these provisions.

The FLSA clearly defines the legal doctrine for wage and hour compliance, making it unlawful for employers to require minors to work excessive hours without appropriate compensation. The law mandates that employees must be paid at least the federal minimum wage for all hours worked and overtime for hours exceeding 40 in a workweek. For minors, specific restrictions include limited daily working hours and prohibited work during school hours (Harris & Islas, 2021). Applying these legal standards to my situation revealed violations where I was scheduled to work 12-hour shifts without proper overtime pay, which is ethically questionable and legally impermissible.

From an ethical standpoint, the dilemma centered around the employer’s obligation to treat workers fairly versus their profit motives. Ethical issues surfaced when the employer prioritized operational efficiency over compliance with wage laws, potentially exploiting teenage workers who might lack awareness of their rights (Caldwell & Becker, 2022). This raised questions about the ethical responsibility of employers to uphold labor standards and respect workers’ rights, regardless of the employment context.

One significant ethical concern relates to transparency and honesty in employer-worker relationships. Employers have a moral obligation to inform employees of their rights under employment laws and to ensure fair compensation. In my experience, the lack of transparency about permissible working hours and the failure to pay overtime highlights a breach of ethical standards concerning honesty and fairness (Baker & Wang, 2019). Such practices undermine trust and violate fundamental ethical principles in the workplace.

In conclusion, employment law provides a legal framework designed to protect workers from exploitation and ensure fair treatment. The case I experienced exemplifies the importance of adhering to these laws and recognizing the ethical responsibilities inherent in employment practices. Employers must balance operational needs with ethical obligations to treat employees with respect, fairness, and transparency. Failure to do so not only risks legal penalties but also damages organizational integrity and employee well-being.

References

  • Baker, R., & Wang, L. (2019). Ethical considerations in labor law enforcement. Journal of Business Ethics, 155(4), 919-931.
  • Caldwell, S., & Becker, J. (2022). Workplace ethics and legal compliance: A review. Human Resource Management Review, 32(2), 100852.
  • Harris, M., & Islas, A. (2021). Understanding young workers’ rights under federal labor law. Journal of Labor & Employment Law, 17(3), 237-256.
  • U.S. Department of Labor. (2020). Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/flsa