Know Your Rights
Where to get free, official help when something goes wrong in a job search or on the way out of a job, plus free legal aid finders.
This page points you to the offices that take complaints or answer questions when something goes wrong, like job discrimination, a final paycheck that never came, or a background check with errors. It is a list of where to go, not legal advice. Many complaints have time limits, so read the office's own page early, and talk to a legal aid group or a lawyer about your situation.
Filters
Background checks
Your rights when an employer checks your background, and how to reach the companies that make the reports.
FTC: Employer Background Checks and Your Rights consumer.ftc.gov
Your rights when an employer runs a background check, including written permission, notice before a rejection, and how to dispute errors.
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CFPB List of Consumer Reporting Companies consumerfinance.gov
The CFPB's list of reporting companies, including employment screening firms you can contact about your own report.
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Discrimination and accommodations
Federal help with job discrimination and with asking for a workplace accommodation.
EEOC: How to File a Charge of Employment Discrimination eeoc.gov
The EEOC's guide to filing a charge of job discrimination, including the time limits and how to start through its online portal.
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Job Accommodation Network (JAN) askjan.org
Free, confidential guidance on workplace accommodations for people with disabilities, funded by the U.S. Department of Labor.
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Free legal help
Nonprofit legal aid for people who qualify. Each program sets its own rules about who it can help.
Legal Services Corporation: Find Legal Aid lsc.gov
Find the civil legal aid organization that serves your area, from the Legal Services Corporation, which funds legal aid for people with low incomes.
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LawHelp.org lawhelp.org
A directory of nonprofit legal aid organizations by state, with free legal information, from Pro Bono Net.
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ABA Free Legal Answers abafreelegalanswers.org
If you qualify and live in a participating state, post a civil legal question, including work questions, for a volunteer lawyer to answer at no cost.
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Organizing and unions
The federal agency that handles charges about union and workplace organizing rights.
NLRB: Investigate Charges nlrb.gov
How to file an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board if an employer or union violated your rights.
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Pay, hours, and state labor offices
Federal and state offices that take complaints about pay, such as unpaid wages and overtime.
DOL Wage and Hour Division: File a Complaint dol.gov
How to file a complaint with the Labor Department's Wage and Hour Division, by phone or through a local office.
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DOL State Labor Offices dol.gov
Contact details for each state's labor office, plus D.C. and several territories, from the Labor Department's Wage and Hour Division.
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