POL 201 American National Government (ACK1624E)- Wk 5 Final Paper

Chanda Crews

POL201: American National Government (ACK1624E)

Beth Garcia

June 18, 2016

Federal policy regarding workplaces imposes rules that have to be adhered to strictly by organizations. The federal policy that requires employees working on an hourly basis a 30 minute lunch break has an impact on my current workplace. The Federal Law, Fair Labor Standards Act, allow employees to engage in personal activities permitted such as eating during a meal break (U.S. Department of Labor, 2016). The break should be at least 20 minutes for it to be a paid one. This is an important policy because as an employee, particularly a social worker, with time you feel tired or numb after working for long hours. Therefore, there is need for a break in order to be happy, boost morale and increase the productivity of any social worker working in the Human and Health Services sector. As such, it is better to give a social worker 30 minutes for a personalized activity every day at work even without pay. Employers who don’t comply with such a policy end up getting into trouble with the law.

The Congress enacted the Fair Labor Standards Act in 1938 in order to ensure that workers worker for a minimum wage and overtime are protected, prevent competition that is unfair based on minimum wages and ensure that employers with employees who work extra hours to compensate their workers well (U.S. Department of Labor, 2016). Considering the work as a social worker, the Congress enacted law allows some to rest or take lunch rather than working all-through without any break. For some, it is an important time to make calls to others, particularly those with young kids. The state that I would like to work in, which is California, holds that meal breaks are mandated by law and are legally binding. Penalties are severe for failing to have enough staff in the organization to allow for rotation of workers during rest breaks and mandatory meals. Therefore, Congress enacts laws that protect all social workers and other workers in the United States in the Health and Human Services sector.

Reference

U.S. Department of Labor. (2016). Federal Law Regarding Lunch Breaks. Retrieved from http://lunchbreaklaws.uslegal.com/federal-law-regarding-lunch-breaks/