William Pons recently finalized a publication detailing the Federal and Maryland state laws relating to agricultural labor issues. The publication is entitled A Guide to Agricultural Labor Laws: How Best to Comply with the Relevant Federal and Maryland State Standards, and is available on the Agriculture Law Education Initiative’s website.
Compliance with labor laws is essential for all businesses including Maryland’s family farms, who are often able to gain exemptions to the general labor requirements. In fact, the Federal law directly addresses agricultural businesses and provides useful exemptions to the standard labor regulations. The publication by William Pons examines the laws and regulations affecting everything from hiring of individuals to the paying of minimum wage as it relates to agriculture operations. Additionally, the publication provides a nice overview of the applicable exemptions and clarifies aspects of labor law that may be confusing. This publication is useful for all individuals who are operating a farm or agricultural related business and hire employees.