Final answer:
Employers have the right to expect employees to work hard, but other actions, such as treating employees any way they want or hiring and firing without regard to federal laws, are restricted by laws designed to protect workers' rights, including regulations on wages, hours, and discrimination.
Step-by-step explanation:
Employers have certain rights and responsibilities within the workplace, governed by a variety of federal laws designed to protect both employers and employees. Among the rights employers have are the ability to expect employees to work hard during their time on the job and to organize their workforce effectively. However, employers cannot simply treat employees any way they want, nor can they hire and fire people completely without influence from federal law.
Laws have been enacted in response to labor protests to create a more balanced power dynamic, including:
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- Setting minimum hourly wages
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- Setting maximum hours of work before overtime rates apply
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- Prohibiting child labor
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- Regulating health and safety conditions in the workplace
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- Preventing discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and age
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- Requiring employers to provide family leave
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- Requiring employers to give advance notice of layoffs
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- Covering workers with unemployment insurance
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- Setting a limit on the number of immigrant workers
Additionally, employees have the right to join labor unions and engage in wage negotiations. Therefore, the correct answer to the question posed is (C) Expect employees to work hard during the time they are on the job. Dividing the workforce into teams to write letters to politicians opposing current legislative action (D) may be legal, depending on the context, but it cannot be coerced or mandated.