How is wage and hour law different from labor law?

Wage and hour law, also known as labor and employment law, is distinctly different from labor law in North Carolina. The main difference is that wage and hour law covers issues related to the payment of wages, as well as the amount and frequency of work time allotted for employers and employees. Labor law, on the other hand, covers a range of workplace topics, from health and safety to collective bargaining and union pools. It also covers labor-management relations, which are primarily focused on collective bargaining agreements, negotiations, and disputes between employers and unions. With wage and hour law, the focus is on the employer’s obligation to pay employees the proper wages; this includes minimum wage, overtime, and other wage related issues. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and other wage and hour laws, such as the North Carolina Wage and Hour Act, lay out the specifics of how employees should be paid. Therefore, wage and hour law focuses specifically on the wages and hours of work that employers must provide to their employees, while labor law looks more broadly at workplace issues like health and safety, union pooling, and collective bargaining. While these two areas of law deal with different aspects of employer-employee relations, they both help to create a safe and equitable workplace for all.

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