Major: Labor and Industrial Relations
It’s no secret that a downturn in the economy affects employees all over the country. But what legal rights do employees have during a recession? Are they still entitled to health care benefits and unemployment insurance? What about worker’s compensation?
Students of labor and industrial relations study employment issues like these so that they’ll be ready to manage personnel issues for a business, union, or other organization. Their studies are interdisciplinary, including courses in everything from psychology to economics.
Students of labor and industrial relations explore the history, contributions, and problems of working people as well as their relations with employers. Instruction also covers management theory and practice.
Did You Know?
- Some of the earliest job strikes for higher wages were led by women. Even an eleven-year-old girl played a key role in a strike at a cloth factory in Lowell, Massachusetts.
Are You Ready To...?
- Study labor trends
- Explore sources of workplace tensions
- Learn labor and employment law
- Understand labor unions
- Practice techniques for resolving conflicts
It Helps to Be...
A patient listener who wants to help others understand each other. Strong organizational skills are also important.
College Checklist
- If the program is offered by the business school, is it accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business?
- Does the program focus more on preparing students to work for labor unions or for employers?
- How many professors are in the department? Make sure you’ll get the attention you deserve.
- What are recent grads doing now?
Did You Know?
- When it was first instated in 1938, the federal minimum wage was only $0.25 an hour.
Course Spotlight
In a course on labor and employment law, you’ll learn about the rights of workers in the United States. Topics covered include age discrimination, sexual harassment, unemployment insurance, and worker’s compensation.
You can expect to spend a fair amount of time studying the Fair Labor Standards Act, the National Labor Relations Act, and their amendments. These laws established minimum wage and over-time rules, unemployment benefits, and other key employee rights.
