What federal laws govern wages, equal pay, pensions, discrimination, and employment eligibility?

"Federal laws help ensure that job applicants and employees are treated fairly and not discriminated against. Hiring, training, and job placement must be unbiased, and promotion and compensation decisions must be based on performance. Several laws govern wages, pensions, and unemployment compensation. The Fair Labor Standards Act sets the federal minimum wage, which is periodically raised by Congress. Many minimum-wage jobs are found in service firms, such as fast-food chains and retail stores. The Pension Reform Act protects the retirement income of employees and retirees. Federal tax laws also affect compensation, including employee profit-sharing and stock purchase plans. When John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act into law in 1963, the goal was to stop the practice of paying women lower wages for the same job based on their gender. At the time, women with full-time jobs earned between 59 and 64 cents for every dollar their male counterparts earned in the same jobs. Although this law has been in place for several decades, progress has been slow. On April 17, 2012, President Barack Obama proclaimed National Equal Pay Day, noting that women who work full time earn only 77 cents for every dollar their male counterparts make. In 2016, the wage gap changed slightly, with women making 80.5 percent of what men earn.\n\nLaws impacting human resource management include the Social Security Act of 1935, which provides retirement income and old-age health care and is enforced by the Social Security Administration; the Wagner Act of 1935, which gives workers the right to unionize and prohibits employer unfair labor practices and is enforced by the National Labor Relations Board; the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, which sets minimum wage, restricts child labor, and sets overtime pay and is enforced by the Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor; the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947, which obligates the union to bargain in good faith and prohibits union unfair labor practices and is associated with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service; the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which eliminates pay differentials based on gender and is enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, or national origin and is enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; the Age Discrimination Act of 1967, which prohibits age discrimination against those over 40 years of age and is enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, which protects worker health and safety and provides for a hazard-free workplace and is enforced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration; the Vietnam Veterans’ Readjustment Act of 1974, which requires affirmative employment of Vietnam War veterans and is administered by the Veterans Employment Service of the Department of Labor; the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, also called the Pension Reform Act, which establishes minimum requirements for private pension plans and involves the Internal Revenue Service, Department of Labor, and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation; the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, which treats pregnancy as a disability and prevents employment discrimination based on pregnancy and is enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, which verifies employment eligibility and prevents employment of illegal aliens and involves Employment Verification Systems and the Immigration and Naturalization Service; the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which prohibits employment discrimination based on mental or physical disabilities and is administered by the Department of Labor; and the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, which requires employers to provide unpaid leave for childbirth, adoption, or illness and is enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission."