Minimum Wage Laws For The United States Essay - 1742 Words

The minimum wage is the mandated price floor paid on hourly or daily basis for the employees regulated by the government or the union. In â€Å"Federal Minimum Wage†, New Zealand and Australia enacted the first minimum wage law during the late 19th century to prevent employers’ exploitation of workers. In 1912, Massachusetts passed the first minimum wage legislation in the US that was enforced for women and children, and fifteen more states followed in the next eleven years. However, the Supreme Court abolished the minimum wage laws in 1923 because the laws violated the women and employers’ Fifth Amendment or their right to negotiate a binding agreement without government interference. In the US, the first federal minimum wage law passed 25 cents per hour as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to help struggling workers during the Great Depression (â€Å"Federal Minimum Wage†). Since 1938, the minimum wage law h as increased twenty-two times to $7.25 to keep pace with inflation. However, minimum wage laws have exemptions in some field of works such as tipped employee who earns $2.13 an hour in direct wages if the amount plus the tips received is at least the mandated minimum wage. In addition, agricultural workers earn their salaries by the number of bags or weight multiplied by the crops’ selling price (â€Å"Minimum Wage and Overtime Basics†). Economists and politicians have been debating for decades if the impact of the minimum wage law providesShow MoreRelatedMinimum Wage And The Laws That Govern Wage Rates Within The United States1993 Words   |  8 PagesIn this paper I will introduce the concept of minimum wage and a few of the laws that govern wage rates within the United States. I will also discuss some of the idea of both the support and opposition to minimum wage. I will also introduce some United States companies who have made the decision to raise their own minimum wages, why they made the decision to do so, and the changes and expectations they have as a result. Raising minimum wage for a company is not easy, and what to raise it to is harderRead MoreThe Effects of a Minimum Wage Law655 Words   |  3 PagesWhat are the Effects of a Minimum Wage Law? A minimum wage is the lowest amount of money per hour that the government of the country assigns employers to pay their employees. The minimum wage is based on an idea that the employers have a responsibility for their employees to live in a reasonable standard of living. The minimum wage laws have directly effect to most industries because of the potential of decreasing their budget. As a result, the minimum wage is still an issue that people researchRead MoreBenefits Of Minimum Wage Law990 Words   |  4 Pagesor even clothes to put on their backs. But here in the United States, we are fortunate enough to have a law in order to complete the bare minimum to afford a decent living condition, food for their families and even to put on decent clothes to keep themselves warm. The minimum wage law was set so employees have a decent living wage and are not in complete ruins after working rough conditions. There are many benefits towards the minimum wage law that was set in 1938 by Presid ent Roosevelt. It helpsRead MoreThe Minimum Wage Of The United States928 Words   |  4 Pagesdissertation is that the federal minimum wage in the United States (US) has been at a stalemate for several years. (Addison et al, 2013) While policy makers are undecided whether to sign a bill into law that will increase the federal minimum wage, the workforce is held in a quandary. The inequality of wages across the country is unbalanced, because some states and various industries are exempt from the minimum wage laws. (Clain, 2012) Due to lack of awareness of the minimum wage laws, the workforce employedRead MoreShould Minimum Wage Be Raised?1062 Words   |  5 Pagesever pressing question regarding Minimum wage. Not many subjects can ignite a controversy as quickly as that of whether or not minimum wage should be raised, or by how much should it be raised or if it should remain the same. What is minimum wage? By definition, minimum wage is the minimum hourly wage an employer can pay a n employee for work. (â€Å"MinimumWage.com†) America’s minimum wage was first introduced by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938. That minimum wage was introduced as part of the FairRead MoreMinimum Wage Of The United States Of America And Australia1031 Words   |  5 Pagesvarious countries see growth in their economy, there has also been significant differences in the wages set to employees in different countries. The lowest wages set by the law that are fixed to a particular amount which is also defined to be the price floor below which workers shall not sell their labor, has its own effects. The minimum wage law came into force as a matter of social justice amongst the low-wage workers, also to reduce exploitation and see that workers can afford the standard basic livingRead MoreCongress As Part Of The Fair Labor Standards Act1084 Words   |  5 PagesStandards Act (FLSA) instituted minimum wage back in 1938. The first minimum wage was at $0.25 per hour and the last minimum wage increase occurred in 2007. Over the past 65 years the minimum wage has varied considerably in inflation-adjusted buying power. It has averaged $6.60 an hour in purchasing power in 2013 dollars, but it has ranged from a low of $3.09 an hour in late 1948 to a high of $8.67 an hour in 1968. Today’s minimum wage buys somewhat more than the minimum wage has historically, althoughRead MoreHigher Federal Requirements For The Minimum Wage Essay1741 Words   |  7 PagesThe push for higher federal requirements for the minimum wage in the United States, as a means of combatting income inequality, have remained a highly debated topic of discussion over the course of many years in the United States. On one side of this debate you have more progressive economists who believe that if minimum wage is increased the standards of living for many minimum wage employees will be improved, thus spurring economic prosperity for this class of workers and helping to bridge theRead MoreMinimum Wage Laws Do Not Meet The Basic Needs Of People850 Words   |  4 PagesThe Universal Declaration of Human Rights set forth by the United Nations in 1950, article 25, paragraph 1 states, â€Å"Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary socital services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control† (â€Å"Universal DeclarationRead MoreThe Effects Of Minimum Wage On The Economy1391 Words   |  6 PagesThe Effects Minimum Wage on the Economy The controversial topic about increasing minimum wage is debated countless times over the years. Minimum wage is the lowest wage an employer can pay an employee permitted by law. The contemporary federal minimum wage is $7.25. Minimum wage applies to all domestic workers but teenagers are the main receivers of minimum wage. Minimum wage has a major effect on the economy. The question is are the effects positive or negative. There are many arguments on whether