Chronological Overview of U.S. Employment Law
The following list is of federal legislation only. Students
should note that states have numerious variations of and additions to
federal law. Also of importance is the case law, Presidential Executive
Orders, and regulatory institutions which are not covered here. A rich
resource on these sources can be found at Cornell or other sources
located on the Industrial Relations & Human Resources Page
Go to the table of contents.
Also, the list here is not strictly employment law. The intent
is to cover legislation which has an impact on the employment
relationship beyond traditional employment relations--e.g., including
benefits.
Sherman Anti-Trust Act 1890
Clayton Act 1912
Railway Labor Act 1926
Davis-Bacon Act 1931
Norris-LaGuardia Act 1932
Wagner Act 1935
Social Security Act 1935
Fair Labor Standards Act 1938
Taft-Hartley Act 1947
Landrum-Griffin Act 1959
Equal Pay Act 1963
Civil Rights Act 1964
Age Discrimination in Employment Act 1967
Occupational Safety and Health Act 1970
Rehabilitation Act 1973
Vietnam Era Veteran's Readjustment Act 1974
Employee Retirement Income Security Act 1974
Whistleblower Protection Act 1986
Immigration Reform and Control Act 1986
Comprehensive Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act 1986
Tax Reform Act 1986
Drug-Free Workplace Act 1988
Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act 1988
Polygraph Protection Act 1988
Older Worker Benefit Protection Act 1990
Civil Rights Act 1991
Glass Ceiling Act 1991
Americans with Disabilities Act 1992
Family and Medical Leave Act 1993