The Department of Labor has recently issued a reminder to seasonal agricultural workers that several different federal laws protect the workers – both in terms of wages and hours worked and work-place conditions. These laws include: the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act’s Field Sanitation Standards.
Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis notes, “The Labor Department is committed
to enforcing labor standard that protect and enhance the welfare of the
nation’s farm workers…Through outreach, we are spreading
the word to farm labor contractors and growers that they must pay their
workers the wages they have earned.” Solis adds, “Each employer
is also responsible for ensuring workers’ health and safety, workers
should not have to lose their lives or risk their health while working
to provide for their families.”
Some of the protections provided by federal law include:
• Workers must be paid
minimum wage and overtime (if not exempt);
• Restrictions on the employment of child farm workers between ages
12 and 16;
• Working conditions must be sanitary including toilets, hand-washing
facilities, potable drinking water and information regarding good hygiene
practices; and
• Housing and transportation must meet certain standards.
If you are an agricultural worker and have any questions about your rights and what to expect from your employers or if you believe you have been treated unfairly by an employer, please contact theAtlanta employee’s rights lawyers The Buckley Law Firm, LLC.