Your Rights at Work: The Big Picture
A handful of federal laws set the floor for how every worker must be treated. States and cities can, and often do, give you more. Here is a map of which law covers what.
- All workers
Photo: the federal and state workplace posters on a jobsite trailer wall
The main federal laws
| Law | What it protects | Who enforces it |
|---|---|---|
| Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) | Minimum wage, overtime, child labor, recordkeeping | U.S. Dept. of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (WHD) |
| Davis-Bacon and Related Acts | Prevailing wages on federal and federally funded construction | WHD |
| Occupational Safety and Health Act | Safe and healthful workplaces | OSHA or your state plan |
| National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) | Right to organize, join a union and act together with coworkers | National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) |
| Title VII, ADA, ADEA, Pregnant Workers Fairness Act | Freedom from discrimination and harassment | Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) |
| Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) | Job-protected unpaid leave for serious health and family needs | WHD |
| State workers’ compensation laws | Medical care and lost wages after work injuries | Your state workers’ comp agency |
| State unemployment insurance | Benefits when you lose work through no fault of your own | Your state workforce agency |
Federal law is the minimum
When a state or city law gives workers more, such as a higher minimum wage, daily overtime, paid sick leave or meal breaks, the law that is better for the worker applies. See the 50-State Quick Reference and the state pages in this section.
Rights that apply no matter what
- You must be paid for all the hours you work.
- You can talk with coworkers about pay and safety.
- You can report safety hazards and injuries.
- You can’t be punished for using these rights. Retaliation is illegal under almost every labor law.
- Most of these protections apply regardless of immigration status. See Rights of Immigrant Workers.
Keep your own records: write down the dates, start and stop times, jobsites and hours you work, and keep your pay stubs. Your own notes are powerful evidence if you’re ever underpaid.
Standards & references
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