Technology has completely transformed the labor market as one goal seems to be apparent over the years - making labor as cheap as possible, and then expendable. While machines are taking over more, resulting in more unskilled labor, it becomes alarming in the sense that workers are treated as more fungible and less deserving than ever before.
The federal government, on the other side, has been stagnant in creating a united front for the issue of workers' rights. According to Law 360, the states are beginning to step into the gap of two key areas in the labor market - paid leave and minimum wage, since the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) can't do everything to fix the labor issue.
More companies are getting used to not providing any leave to average workers in the labor market. At this time, many cities and states are taking it upon themselves to right the wrongs of drafting leave policies, and just who these laws cover is another issue that is not universal.
There are many theories surrounding the meaning of this leave for employers in the labor market. In fact, The Baltimore Sun revealed that employers often initiate elaborate schemes for skirting local rules that increase obligations for employers. But the question is - wouldn't it all be simpler, and even fairer for all employers and employees, if one set federal policy had been set?
When it comes to wage rate and hour law, employment attorneys and some well-informed HR professionals immediately think of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). However, there are many states that treat the FLSA as a floor, and not a ceiling, in terms of paying workers. While the federal law's way of simply saying "you have to pay your employees" have worked all the time, the state law dictates how that should be done in the labor market.
Although the times for labor market are changing, it's a question if there is still any value left for unskilled hourly labor. Although some states and cities are pretty convinced that labor is worth it for the labourer, its hard to ignore that the machines are coming towards the labor.
