Answer 4 for HRM 635 What are legally required benefits and why are they required by law?

Companies and the government are required to provide certain benefits to their employees and citizens. There are benefits required by the federal government and some required by state governments. The federally required benefits are social security, Medicare, Medicaid, health insurance, unemployment insurance, worker’s compensation, and family and medical leave. They are required by law in order to protect employees and help them prepare for retirement and were made in response to workers’ rights and welfare movements. Benefits that companies are required to provide, such as family and medical leave, can be waived if the company has less than 50 employees. An addition to these required benefits could be that companies should be required, by federal law, to provide maternity leave to both the mother and father of a newborn. Currently this benefit is only provided to the mother through the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993. However, if the federal government was to extend this to the father, it could help reduce gender discrimination within recruitment and help provide families with the support they need.

Armstrong, Sharon, Mitchell., & Barbara. (2019). The Essential HR Handbook, Tenth Anniversary Edition. https://library-books24x7-com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/assetviewer.aspx?bookid=141667&chunkid=970802763&noteMenuToggle=0&leftMenuState=1