All employers must understand and follow pertinent national labor laws. In addition, your organization must ensure full compliance with the applicable labor laws in the particular states in which it operates. A couple of the labor laws that your organization must comply with to ensure worker rights and avoid legal trouble are the FLSA labor law and the NLRA labor law. Fair Labor Standards Act The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires employers to pay covered employees who are not otherwise exempt at least the federal minimum wage and overtime pay. Several states have minimum wage labor laws that are more generous than the national minimum wage labor law. National Labor Relations Act The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) was designed to promote collective bargaining between labor and management and to assure workers the right to organize and join a union without fear of reprisal. This labor law guarantees employees the right to organize and to bargain collectively with their employers, or to refrain from all such activity. It's Easy to Stay up-to-date using HR.BLR.com Learn more about labor laws and how some state labor laws differ from federal laws at HR.BLR.com, the human resource experts. HR.BLR.com is the most complete source for practical human resources advice and plain-English compliance analysis available anywhere. No matter what the HR topic - from termination to labor law - you’ll find hands-on help you can count on. As the laws in different states on Human Resources get more complex, keeping current can spell the difference between success and disaster. The HR.BLR.com editorial staff monitors a host of private and government sources to keep you up-to-date on all the important human resource developments. The HR Library has more helpful labor law resources like these: Fair Labor Standards Act Labor Laws in your State Employment Law Forms and checklists