
There are some types of employee benefits that are mandated by federal or state law law, including minimum wage, overtime, leave under the Family Medical Leave Act, unemployment, and workers' compensation and disability insurance.
Full Answer
What benefits are legally required?
legally required benefits. Legally required benefits provide workers and their families with retirement income and medical care, mitigate economic hardship resulting from loss of work and disability, and cover liabilities resulting from workplace injuries and illnesses. The legally required benefits . covered in this issue of . Program Perspectives
What employee benefits are legally required?
Which Employee Benefits are Legally Required and Which are Optional?
- Social Security Taxes. As noted by the SBA.gov, every employer is required to pay social security taxes based on the rate their employees pay.
- Workers Compensation. Businesses are required to carry Workers’ Comp Insurance, and they have several options. ...
- Disability Insurance
- Leave Benefits. ...
- Health Insurance. ...
- Other Employee Benefits. ...
- Conclusion. ...
What are required benefits?
- Social Security, Medicare, and Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) – FICA is a federal payroll (employment) tax used to fund Social Security and Medicare. ...
- Unemployment insurance – Assists workers who lose their jobs.
- Workers' compensation insurance – Gives financial support to people unable to work as a result of a workplace injury or illness.
What are the benefits of the law?
There are three principles upon which the rule of law is based:
- The Supremacy Of The Law This means that the law is the highest authority in the land. The rulers must rule the people according to the law. ...
- Equality Before The Law This means that all persons are equal before the law and the law should be applied equally to all citizens of a country, whether you ...
- Right To Personal Liberty

What are the personal and natural rights guaranteed to US citizens?
Among these fundamental natural rights, Locke said, are "life, liberty, and property."
What are the rights that people have simply because they are people?
Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status. Human rights include the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more.
What types of actions are not protected by this clause?
Which types of speech are not protected by the First Amendment?Obscenity.Fighting words.Defamation (including libel and slander)Child pornography.Perjury.Blackmail.Incitement to imminent lawless action.True threats.More items...
What is the Privileges and Immunities Clause quizlet?
What is the Privileges and Immunities Clause? A constitutional clause which is designed to prevent states from discriminating against out of state citizens on matters of fundamental or essential rights and activities.
What are the 7 basic human rights?
7 BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS#1. The right to life. ... #3. The right to equal treatment before the law. ... #4. The right to privacy. ... #5. The right to freedom of thought, religion, opinion, and expression. ... #7. The right to education. ... Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and personal security.
What are the 5 civil rights?
Examples of civil rights include the right to vote, the right to a fair trial, the right to government services, the right to a public education, and the right to use public facilities.
What are the six rights in the First Amendment?
The words of the First Amendment itself establish six rights: (1) the right to be free from governmental establishment of religion (the “Establishment Clause”), (2) the right to be free from governmental interference with the practice of religion (the “Free Exercise Clause”), (3) the right to free speech, (4) the right ...
What are 2 examples of actions protected under the privileges and immunities clause?
The privileges and immunities of U.S. citizenship that cannot be unreasonably abridged by state laws include the right to travel from state to state; the right to vote for federal officeholders; the right to enter public lands; the right to petition Congress to redress grievances; the right to inform the national ...
Does freedom of speech mean you can say anything?
Does freedom of speech mean you can say anything? The short answer is no. The longer answer is that the specific law will depend on the country you're in, but generally, there will always be exceptions to the rule.
What does the Privileges and Immunities Clause protect?
The Privileges and Immunities Clause of Article IV, Section 2 of the Constitution states that "the citizens of each state shall be entitled to all privileges and immunities of citizens in the several states." This clause protects fundamental rights of individual citizens and restrains state efforts to discriminate ...
What does the privileges and immunity clause prohibit?
The Privileges and Immunities Clause (U.S. Constitution, Article IV, Section 2, Clause 1, also known as the Comity Clause) prevents a state from treating citizens of other states in a discriminatory manner. Additionally, a right of interstate travel is associated with the clause.
Which of the following is not protected under the Privileges and Immunities Clause quizlet?
Corporations, aliens, and legal residents are not citizens of the United States and are not protected by the Fourteenth Amendment Privileges or Immunities Clause.
Minimum Wage
The Fair Labor Standards Act provides that a federally established minimum wage shall be provided to workers in the public and private sectors. From July 2008 –July 2009 the minimum wage is set at $6.55 per hour and that rate is set to rise to $7.25 per hour on July 24, 2009. Some states also have minimum wage laws.
Hours and Overtime
Federal law does not limit the number of hours that an employee can work each week. However, it does set a standard week at 40 hours and it requires an employer to pay employees overtime for any hours worked in excess of 40 hours in a given week. Overtime pay is defined as at least 1 1/2 times what the employee makes during a regular hour.
Leave Time
State law and employment or union contracts may provide employees with certain amounts of paid time off for situations such as illness, the birth of a baby or the bereavement of a family member.
Speak to an Experienced Employment Law Attorney Today
This article is intended to be helpful and informative. But even common legal matters can become complex and stressful. A qualified employment lawyer can address your particular legal needs, explain the law, and represent you in court.
What are the benefits that are not required by law?
However, these common benefits are not required by law. Retirement Plans. Life Insurance. Health Insurance. Dental Insurance. Paid Leave. It is important that employers know the difference between what is required by law and what benefits enhance an employee’s compensation package to help in recruitment and retention.
Why do employers offer benefits?
The reason most employers offer benefits is to make employees feel appreciated. Benefits are also used as a recruitment and retention tool that are part of an overall compensation package. When putting together a benefits package, employers need to know what the laws are that govern employee benefits and have an understanding so ...
What is Workers Compensation?
Workers Compensation offers insurance benefits to employees who become ill or are injured at work. This insurance is different in every state and is dictated at the state level. In addition, some states require employers to purchase disability insurance. To find out what your requirements are, you can go to this page.
What is church unemployment insurance?
Unemployment Insurance. Unemployment Insurance provides compensation to employees who lose their job for no fault of their own. It is different in every state and is mandated at the state level. Churches are exempt from this tax requirement.
How long does FMLA leave last?
Family and Medical Leave is a benefit that is sometimes confusing for employees. What the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requires is for the employer to provide 12 weeks of unpaid time off to employees during a 12 month period of time.
Unemployment Benefits
Unemployment benefits are federally required. This kind of benefit is given to eligible workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own.
Worker's Compensation
Worker's compensation is another benefit that is imposed by federal law. It is given to employees who are injured on the job.
Benefits in General
The benefits that an employee may receive could either be tangible or intangible. The previous discussion refers to tangible benefits. Intangible benefits are less direct, for instance, a nice, comfortable office, sufficient supplies, likelihood for promotion, etc.
How does leaving a job affect your benefits?
One of the first things to remember in many of these situations is that how you leave a job can have a big impact on how the employer will feel about you and how cooperative they may be in providing benefits after the end of the employment relationship . Also, the reason for leaving can have an impact on what benefits you may be entitled to receive.
What happens if you leave your job?
Also, the reason for leaving can have an impact on what benefits you may be entitled to receive. Laws vary from state to state regarding what benefits must be provided after employment ends. Thus, before you leave your job, you will want to know what benefits you are eligible for. In every state you are entitled to receive some benefits by law.
Is severance required for a job?
A severance may also be offered to ease the employee's transition, but this is usually not mandatory. Also, entitlement to vacation and sick time becomes a little more murky depending on the circumstances of the termination, the laws of the local jurisdiction, and the employer's policies.
