Introduction
Establishing mutually beneficial relations between managers and employees is the key task for every organization. However, it often occurs that a desired level of cooperation is only achievable if all the regulatory norms are observed by both parties, and none of the sides is attempting to abuse its position. In accordance with the existing legislation, companies and employees are obliged to observe current labor laws and follow their key principles. Among the laws that have seriously advanced relations between managers and employees, one can highlight the Norris-LaGuardia Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and the Whistleblower Protection Act. The following research will provide a detailed review of each of the three acts and will give conclusions regarding their importance for the manager-employee relationship.
The Norris-LaGuardia Act
The main purpose of the Norris-LaGuardia Act of 1932 was to stop the occurrence of anti-labor injunctions. At the beginning of the century, courts mainly defended the rights of employers, constantly issuing injunctions that forbade workers to strike (Griffin, Bryant, & Koerber, 2015). In case of disobedience, a worker was imprisoned without jury trials. A statement under oath provided by an employer was usually enough to issue an injunction against a worker without even hearing the evidence of the latter. Eventually, this situation required immediate intervention on a legislative level. In accordance with Section 4 of the act, federal courts were deprived of the right to issue injunctions against people involved in labor activity. Instead, each side was allowed to present evidence prior to announcing a verdict.
The Fair Labor Standards Act
This act guarantees that employees receive at least a minimum wage for the work they do. As stated in the act directives, mangers/employers are obliged to pay their workers no less than $7.25 per hour (Rosenbloom, 2014). It is known that some legislators attempted to increase that amount; however, they barely reached any success. The act also guarantees that all workers receive additional payment for any overtime they have performed. In addition, the act prohibits hiring people under the legal age.
The Whistleblower Protection Act
The Whistleblower Protection Act (WPA) was reorganized into federal law in 1989 to regulate the relationships between workers and managers/contractors. The term “whistleblowing” presupposes giving evidence to courts or employers’ illegal or improper activities. If a person suspects that a huge waste of funds, an abuse of authority, or a danger to the personnel has taken place, he or she can file a claim with the court (Griffin et al., 2015). The protection of the WPA is applicable to employees that work throughout federal executive branches. The law protecting whistleblowers refers to the category of Public law and, therefore, can be referred to by practically any employee.
Conclusion
In closing, one needs to admit that the above-mentioned acts are often addressed by the US courts in the matters of regulation of the management-employee relations. The laws guarantee that both employers and employees will strictly perform their working tasks. Also, the Whistleblower Protection Act ensures that no abuse of authority or neglect of duties is observed in the workplace. It is notable that prior to the adoption of the named laws, workers in the United States were at a huge disadvantage compared to employers due to the absence of legal protection. However, the introduction of the Norris-LaGuardia Act in 1932 and further implementation of labor laws have made both parties equally responsible for the proper arrangement of working processes.
References
Griffin, J. J., Bryant, A., & Koerber, C. P. (2015). Corporate responsibility and employee relations: From external pressure to action. Group & Organization Management, 40(3), 378-404.
Rosenbloom, D. H. (2014). Federal service and the constitution: The development of the public employment relationship. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press.