All of the laws regulating the conditions under which employees work for employers are called labor and industrial law. The many issues controlled by this body of law include hours of labor, child labor, minimum wage, unemployment insurance, and the rights of collective bargaining. Labor and industrial law also deals with worker safety and health, workers’ compensation, disability insurance.

While governments have seen fit to legislate in these and other areas, many of the laws are no more than general guidelines. The specifics are frequently left to arrangements between employers and employees within a company or industry. For instance, government may legislate a 40-hour workweek, but this does not prevent a company from spreading the 40 hours over six days. Nor does it hinder an industry from offering overtime employment, providing wages meet agreed-upon standards.