Module 03 Assignment – Federal Laws Business Report Module 03 Assignment – Federal Laws Business Report

Module 03 Assignment – Federal Laws Business Report
Module 03 Content

Scenario

You recently earned a competitive internship within a state government office. Your position will support upper-level leadership through business research and analysis. As your agency oversees a variety of professional/occupational licensures, your director has requested that you research and evaluate different Federal laws governing business trade and operations. Specifically, management is seeking a discussion about how different Federal laws may impact local and state companies.

Select at least four laws or regulations that may impact business trade and/or operations. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Department of Labor may be helpful resources.

Write a 3-4-page business report that addresses the following:

Explain each law or regulation and identify how each affects various businesses within the state and its communities.
What long-term impact do you think these laws may have on businesses, both locally and in general?

Be sure to use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and APA in-text citations and references.

Resources

For assistance with writing business reports, click on the Business Report tab within the Business Writing Guide
APA 7th Edition Guide
Fastcase (legal research)Instructions for locating cases in Fastcase
Discovery (articles and eBooks)
Grammarly
Regulations book. Law, rules and regulations concept
Consumer protection laws serve our business and economic sectors in a variety of ways. From upholding public safety, to preserving corporate integrity, to supporting workers’ rights, consumer protection measures support robust, important interests. To illustrate this, consider the recent case regarding Amazon, Inc. As provided by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission:

“Amazon will pay more than $61.7 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it failed to pay Amazon Flex drivers the full amount of tips they received from Amazon customers over a two-and-a-half-year period. The FTC’s complaint alleges that the company stopped its behavior only after becoming aware of the FTC’s investigation in 2019.

The $61.7 million represents the full amount that Amazon allegedly withheld from drivers and will be used by the FTC to compensate drivers.” (U.S. Federal Trade Commission, 2021).

All companies should exercise due diligence in ensuring their protocol and their procedures agree with government regulations at all times. Even an inadvertent oversight can have significant ramifications for both the business and its stakeholders.

Role of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is a primary Federal authority concerning consumer protection laws, and it describes its related work and efforts as follows:

“The FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection stops unfair, deceptive and fraudulent business practices by collecting reports from consumers and conducting investigations, suing companies and people that break the law, developing rules to maintain a fair marketplace, and educating consumers and businesses about their rights and responsibilities.” (The U.S. Federal Trade Commission, 2021).

From investigating malfeasance to eliminating scams, the Federal Trade Commission attempts to preserve strong and sustainable commerce for all participants (people and organizations). As our global economy enhances, do you expect the role and the significance of the Federal Trade Commission to grow? Please consider this possibility as you advance through the lesson.

The Federal Trade Commission actively partners with states to promote fair, effective practices. For more information about these programs, review the content here.

Reference

“Amazon Flex.” (February 2, 2021). Retrieved on February 18, 2021 from https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/cases-proceedings/1923123/amazon-flex
The effect of governmental regulations on organizations is broad, and as our global economy advances, this influence will most likely develop. We have encountered a few examples of business legislation, such as the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, that govern company structures and actions. Other statutes, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the National Labor Relations Act, impose further guidelines on business standards, and activities. The common goals among many business laws – statutes and/or regulations – are equality, equity, and fairness. Consumers, workers, and industries can all thrive when our businesses uphold fair treatment, equal opportunities, safe conditions, and ethical objectives.

Along with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, a number of executive agencies oversee different areas of consumer protection and business performance. The Consumer Product Safety Commission, for instance, monitors proper production of goods; it upholds the standards by which many businesses and companies must develop, manufacture, and distribute their items. Laws governed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission include the Consumer Product Safety Act and the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008.

Additionally, the U.S. Department of Commerce retains responsibility and oversight for various economic and industrial components. Specifically, its official mission is presented as follows:

“The Department of Commerce promotes job creation and economic growth by ensuring fair trade, providing the data necessary to support commerce and constitutional democracy, and fostering innovation by setting standards and conducting foundational research and development.” (U.S. Department of Commerce, 2021).

The Department of Commerce supports initiatives related to leadership, job development and growth, and domestic/national population data (U.S. Department of Commerce, 2021). As we have seen, multiple stakeholders – from local communities, to business sectors, to global markets – are affected by business trends, thus the accountability of all organizations such as the Department of Commerce is significant.

Government regulations can often determine the direction and the path of a business. From safety efforts to job creation, laws greatly influence corporate trends, patterns, and progress. We will review in later lessons the impact of enforcement and compliance with laws, as these factors not only affect an organization’s legal status but also its public perception.

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Resources

U.S. Department of Commerce, 2021. Retrieved from https://www.commerce.gov/about
iStock-1181224377.jpg
This module’s readings introduced you to the topics of regulations, agencies and partnerships. Regulations set the rules for businesses, while agencies allow for the delegation of duties and partnerships permit persons to join collateral and interests to start a business. For context, administrative agencies are governmental boards or commissions that have the ability to regulate or enforce laws. The Environmental Protection Agency, Internal Revenue Service and Administration are all example of administrative agencies that have regulatory power in the United States.

Regulations
If there were no rules surrounding business practices, then it would be every businessperson for themselves. Regulations guide businesses to do the right thing, but it is up to the individual business owner as to whether they choose to follow the rules or set their own. We were introduced to the purpose and the goals of the Federal Trade Commission Trade in this lesson, and the FTC enforces trade regulations designed to “protect consumers and promote competition” (U.S. Federal Trade Commission, n.d.). Specifically:

“The FTC, as we have seen, administers a wide variety of laws and regulations, including the Federal Trade Commission Act, Telemarketing Sale Rule, Identity Theft Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act, and Clayton Act. In total, the Commission has enforcement or administrative responsibilities under more than 70 laws.”

Trade regulations serve to protect both businesses and consumers, and in doing so, our economy can remain effective and sustainable. Many of the laws and the regulations surrounding trade seek to limit adverse business practices, strive to encourage open markets, and attempt to uphold consumer needs (U.S. Federal Trade Commission, n.d.)

References

Enforcement (n.d.). Federat Trade Commission. Retrieved on February 1, 2021 from https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement

U.S. Federal Trade Commission. “What We Do.” Retrieved on February 5, 2021 from https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/what-we-do

What we do. (n.d.). Federal Trade Commission. Retrieved on Februrary 1, 2021 from https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/what-we-do

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