NTL logo in blue and gold
Member Login
Member Directory
ntl-top-100-logo-345px
Member Directory

On Labor Day, Knowing How the Law Has Grown to Protect Workers

The first Labor Day took place on September 5, 1882, as a creation of the labor movement. In this video, which I recorded when I was Editor-in-Chief of Lawyers.com, it's good to remember how the law has grown since then to protect 140 million people in today's work force.

People worked up to 16 hour days, seven days a week in dangerous conditions during the Industrial Revolution – and they had virtually no legal rights. The word “weekend” didn't exist until the 1870s.

Today, three key laws protect American workers:

1. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission – the EEOC – enforces several statues. The agency protects against workplace discrimination based on retaliation, race, sex and other kinds of discrimination.

2. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) allows eligible employees to take up to one year off from work to care for a newborn child or a member of the family who is sick.

3. The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ensures the integrity of 700,000 retirement plans and more than 2 million health plans. The law requires employers to report the status of the plans so that they are there for workers when they retire or become ill.

We honor and celebrate with you this Labor Day.

Find an Attorney

The National Trial Lawyers stands as an esteemed, exclusive association comprising top-tier trial attorneys nationwide. Whether you require a Civil Plaintiff Lawyer or a Criminal Defense Lawyer in your state, our network ensures access to premier legal expertise tailored to your needs.
Find Attorney

Read More Legal News

white NTL logo
© Copyright 2025, All Rights Reserved | National Trial Lawyers
Copyright © 2025 All Rights Reserved
 | National Trial Lawyers
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram