There is no single definition or definitive list of workers’ rights. The International Labor Organization (ILO) identifies what it calls “fundamental principles and rights at work” that all ILO Members have an obligation to respect and promote, which are:

• freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining;

• elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labor;

• effective abolition of child labor; and

• elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.

The ILO has adopted—and supervises the application of—international labor conventions in each of these areas. Other important ILO standards deal with conditions of work, including occupational safety and health, wages, and hours of work, but these standards are not considered fundamental or core conventions.

United States trade law adds acceptable conditions of work with respect to minimum wages, hours of work, and occupational safety and health to that list, calling them “internationally recognized labor rights.”

In the United States, federal law provides minimum standards or rights for workers regarding occupational safety and health, wages, family and medical leave, and hours of work. And many states have laws that protect workers as well. When state laws provide workers with greater protections than the applicable federal law the state law is not preempted or superseded by the federal law and workers are entitled to those greater rights and protections.

In Georgia, workers' rights are governed by a combination of federal law and state statutes. Federally, workers are protected under laws such as the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which sets minimum wage and overtime pay standards, and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which entitles eligible employees to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons. Georgia state law complements these protections and may offer additional rights. For instance, Georgia adheres to the federal minimum wage but does not have its own state minimum wage law for employers subject to the FLSA. The state also follows federal standards for hours of work and overtime. Regarding the ILO's fundamental principles, while the U.S. is a member of the ILO, not all ILO conventions are ratified by the U.S. However, workers in Georgia do have the right to associate freely and engage in collective bargaining, and there are laws in place aimed at preventing forced labor, child labor, and employment discrimination. When state laws provide greater protections than federal laws, workers in Georgia are entitled to these greater rights and protections.