Federal and State Systems of Government
Many people are stunned to discover that there is not a single "court system" in the United States. Every state has its own court system which is designed to handle cases that involve disputes or crimes that occur within the state. The federal government also has a court system to handle cases that involve disputes or issues governed by federal laws or the U.S. Constitution. Both the state system and the government system have different applications for employment laws as well. It is amazing to learn that the federal and state systems of government differ in their application of employment law.
The United States Supreme Court ruled that their employees could not sue states over alleged violations of Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). The court's decision only affects the rights of state employees. Other public employers do not enjoy the right to claim "sovereign immunity" from individuals' legal actions. The decisions also do not affect the enforcement of state laws governing discrimination or regulating wages and hours of employment.
In the United States, each state has state laws that must to be followed regarding employment. Each state has its own court system to handle criminal and civil cases. Outside of these state run court systems is the federal court system. This court system is designed to try cases that involve issues that are governed by federal laws or the United States Constitution. Employment laws differ from state to state and on the federal level.
It is illegal for an employer to discriminate against an employee based on age, sex, race, disability, and age. Federal and state employment laws are put into place to protect the rights of the employee. Some states even go above and beyond the e ...