Legal Research from Home Series 4: Employment Law

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February 19, 2021

In the current Covid-19 pandemic, many people have faced the loss of jobs. Now more than ever, employment law is an important area of law. There are many online resources at a person's disposal to research employment law-related issues at home. The following list of website links provide many helpful employment resources on the federal level:

U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)
- E-laws Employment Law Guide (A guide describing the major statutes and regulations administered by the DOL)
- Occupational Health & Safety Administration (OSHA)
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
- Laws & Guidance (Laws, regulations, Fact sheets, FAQs, best practices, and other information organized by basis of discrimination)
National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) (Federal agency responsible for enforcing U.S. Labor law in relation to collective bargaining and unfair labor practices)
U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), particularly the Civil Rights Division
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) (The BLS measures labor market activity, working conditions, price changes, and productivity in the U.S. economy to support public and private decision making)

Relevant federal statutes regarding employment and labor law found in titles 29 and 42 of the United States Code include the following:

Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), 29 U.S.C. §§ 621, et seq.
Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 12101, et seq.
Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VII, 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000e, et seq.
Civil Rights Act of 1991, 42 U.S.C. §§ 1981, et seq.
Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA), 29 U.S.C. §§ 1161, et seq.
Equal Pay Act, 29 U.S.C. § 206(d)
Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA), 29 U.S.C. §§ 201, et seq.
Family and Medical Leave Act, 29 U.S.C. §§ 2601, et seq.
National Labor Relations Act, 29 U.S.C. §§ 141, et seq.
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. §§ 701, et seq.
Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN Act), 29 U.S.C. §§ 2101, et seq.

On the state level, the following list of websites for California provide resources as it applies to the California Employment Law:

California Employment Law Handbook (a comprehensive breakdown of California employment laws from “Child labor law” to “WARN Laws”)
Employment Development Department for California (Information on California jobs, unemployment, disability, and family leave benefits claims)
California Employment Lawyers Association (An organization of lawyers who represent working people in California; They offer a “find a lawyer” tool here: Find A Member)
State of California Department of Industrial Relations Labor Commissioner’s Office (Information on labor law, Cal/OSHA, Worker’s Comp, Self Insurance, and Apprenticeship for the state of California)

Relevant California statutes employment and labor law found in the California Labor Code (LAB) here

And lastly, you can visit some helpful blog websites on up-to-the-minute updates on labor and employment law. Some blogs that we find most helpful include:

Written by: Michael Van Aken, Library Assistant