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Employment & Labor Law: A Beginner's Guide

Federal Statutes and Regulations

Marion S. Trikosko, photographer. Sanitation Workers. 1971. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.

Once you have used a secondary source to ground you in the concepts of this area of the law, you may be interested in reviewing the federal statutes and regulations that are the foundation of United States labor and employment law.

More information about applicable statutes and regulations are found below. In addition to the lists, there are links provided to resources where you will be able to find the full text for the materials.

Most federal statutes regarding employment and labor law can be found in Titles 29 and 42 of the United States Code. Examples of pertinent legislation include:

  • 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, 29U.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.

Free digital copies of federal statutes, as printed in the United States Code, can be found at the following websites: 

Most federal regulations regarding employment and labor law can be found in Titles 20 and 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Free digital copies of federal statutes, as printed in the Code of Federal Regulations, can be found at the following websites: 

However, a researcher should keep in mind that several of the federal departments and agencies that deal with labor and employment law issues also issue agency-specific rules, guidance, and administrative rulings. These rulings can often be found on department and agency websites, which will be discussed in our next section.