Many of the most familiar and basic workplace rights are guaranteed by the Office of Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). OSHA protects workers' health and safety, while the FLSA's basic requirements include payment of the minimum wage; overtime pay of time-and-one-half for time worked over 40 hours in a work week, restrictions on child labor, and preparation and maintenance of employment records.
In recent years, the employment relationship between workers and businesses receiving the benefit of their labor has fissured. Wage theft and dangerous work conditions are widespread across fissured workplaces. It became difficult to identify employers’ responsibility on FLSA violations in such places. OSHA, by contrast, uses an even more restrictive measure, insulating employers from health and safety claims.
OSHA and FLSA agency has very limited resources or investigators to inspect and enforce labor standards proactively. Chances of periodic inspections on each work place are very less. Overall complaint rates are comparatively lower compared to the violations. Individual workers are reluctant to raise their concerns on any types of work place violations. So there should be a collaborative
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They have abundant resources to organize and protect any work related violations. Most of the violations are happening in low wage sector, where most workers are immigrants, their language barrier and lack of legal knowledge create problem to raise any complaints. Also Fear of retaliation due to their illegal status dissuades them to make complaints. Declining presence of labor union in low wage sectors makes worker center as a counter prevailing power to employers. Worker center can develop strategies to improve working conditions and provide voice for low-wage, primarily immigrant workers. They can speak on behalf of low wage workers to local media and