ABSTRACT

The relationship between employer and employee is shaped by several factors. A primary factor is the agreement between the individual employer and employee. They agree to the specific terms of their relationship-what the employer will pay, the employee’s job duties, the code of conduct at the workplace, the hours the employee will be required to work, and what will occur upon the termination of the relationship. The employment relationship is also shaped by the labor market. If labor is scarce, employees can command better working conditions and higher wages. If labor is plentiful, employers pay lower wages and offer fewer benefits. Last, but not least, the law plays a very significant role in shaping an employment relationship throughout each person’s working life, beginning with child-labor laws and ending with laws that prohibit age discrimination.