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Work and Unemployment  >  View All Subtopics   Read information about your legal rights. There are 207 resources     Page 1 of 5 Basic Employment Laws     Basic Rights      Basic Rights on the Job in Georgia This document discusses the basic employment rights including rights regarding wages and hours, harassment, safe working environments and labor unions, excerpted from An Introduction to Law in Georgia, Fourth Edition, published by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, 1998 (updated 2004). By: Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia     Read this in: Spanish / Español           Employment Law Guide: Laws, Regulations, and Technical Assistance Services (Separate Website) This Guide describes the statutes and regulations administered by the Department of Labor (DOL) that affect businesses and workers. The Guide is designed mainly for those needing "hands-on" information to develop wage, benefit, safety and health, and nondiscrimination policies for businesses in general industry. By: U.S. Department of Labor     Read this in: Spanish / Español           Know Your Rights on the Job Q & A A publication by the National Council of La Raza to help safeguard Latinos in the workplace, Know Your Rights on the Job Q & A. The format of the Q & A is designed to educate Latino employees on their rights and how to combat common forms of discrimination often experienced by this group. By: Georgia Legal Services Program       Read this in: Spanish / Español           The Law and Your Job (Separate Website) No matter where you work, no matter what your job, it's virtually certain that the law plays a big role in regulating the workplace. This web site contains information about: (1) How Law Affects the Workplace, (2) Major Federal Laws Relating to Work, and (3) Sexual Harassment. By: American Bar Association           Your Rights and Duties on the Job This document discusses your basic rights and duties on the job, including contract rights, statutory rights, equal pay for equal work, harassment, OSHA, and the right to join a labor union, excerpted from An Introduction to Law in Georgia, Fourth Edition, published by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, 1998 (updated 2004). By: Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia     Read this in: Spanish / Español          Documentation for Employment      Immigration Status and Your Rights as a Worker (Separate Website) This fact sheet, for workers, gives an overview of the ways in which immigration status may affect worker's labor and employment rights. Please consult an attorney to get an evaluation of your claims. The document is PDF format. By: National Employment Law Project (NELP)     Read this in: Spanish / Español           Individual Taxpayer Identification Number: How can the ITIN be used as an Identifier (Separate Website) This guide for immigrant advocates explains the uses of the Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) as an alternative to the Social Security Number and outlines areas for advocacy for expanded use of the ITIN as an identifier. The document is PDF format. By: National Employment Law Project (NELP)           Off to Work: What You Need to Know about Documents, Wages, and Taxes This web page contains information about documents that allow you to work in the United States, employee status, taxes, hourly wages and other items that affect the pay you receive. By: Georgia Legal Services Program             What is the Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) and How Do You Get One? (Separate Website) This document explains in brief the Individual Tax Identification Number and how a worker can apply for one. The document is PDF format. By: National Employment Law Project (NELP)     Read this in: Spanish / Español          Ending a Job      Ending a Job This document discusses the following questions: What happens if you are fired or laid off from your job or if you quit? What happens if you become ill or are injured and cannot work? What is sick leave and how is it covered? What happens when you retire? What is a pension? What is Social Security? The document is an excerpt from An Introduction to Law in Georgia, Fourth Edition, published by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, 1998 (updated 2004). By: Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia     Read this in: Spanish / Español           What to Do If You Lose Your Job This brochure explains what to do if you lose your job. Under Georgia law, unless you are discriminated against, a government worker, a union worker or a contract worker, you can be fired ?at will?. This means you can be fired for any reason or no reason at all. You do have the right to apply for unemployment. By: Atlanta Legal Aid Society       Read this in: Chinese / 中文 , Korean / 한국어 , Spanish / Español , Vietnamese / Tiếng Việt          Finding a Job      Employment Relationship Checklists (Separate Website) These checklists are designed to assist organizers and workers when confronted with a minimum wage or overtime violation in a subcontracting or independent contractor employment situation. The checklists represent the three major tests for employment status under various federal labor and employment laws, in order of the narrowest to the broadest. The checklists are not exhaustive, and are meant to assist workers in determining whether there is an employment relationship with any number of possible responsible employers. Please consult an attorney to get an evaluation of your claims. The document is in PDF format. By: National Employment Law Project (NELP)           Getting a Job This document discusses basic employment issues relating to getting a job, including laws governing hiring such as equal employment opportunity, non-discrimination, and equal pay requirements, excerpted from An Introduction to Law in Georgia, Fourth Edition, published by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, 1998 (updated 2004). By: Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia     Read this in: Spanish / Español          Wage and Labor Law      Enforcement of Federal Laws Related to Payment of Wages (Separate Website) The Department of Labor enforces the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which sets basic minimum wage and overtime pay standards. In addition to the FLSA, the DOL Wage and Hour Division enforces other labor laws related to wage payment. The web site also contains information on the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the Immigration Act of 1990, relating to immigrants working under HB-1 visas. By: U.S. Department of Labor           Fair Labor Standards Act Information (Separate Website) This web page contains: Fair Labor Standards Act/Child Labor Laws, Regulations, and information to help everyone comply with the law. By: U.S. Department of Labor           Get Information About Child Labor (Separate Website) Today, approximately 80% of all students will work sometime during high school. Child labor laws ensure our youth will have the necessary time to pursue their education and be employed in a safe workplace. Georgia's child labor law was written in 1878 whereas the federal child labor law is provided for under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) enacted in 1938. When there are differences between federal and state laws pertaining to child labor, the law providing the more stringent standard is observed. By: Georgia Department of Labor           Household Workers (Separate Website) If you hire someone to work in your home, such as a cleaning person, a cook, a gardener or a baby sitter, both you and your employee should know about paying Social Security and Medicare taxes. Your household employee may be eligible for Social Security and Medicare some day?if you deduct Social Security and Medicare taxes from his or her wages, pay the taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and report the wages to the Social Security Administration. By: Social Security Administration     Read this in: Chinese / 中文 , Polish / polski , Spanish / Español           Minimum Wage Requirements and Labor Standards (Separate Website) This web site contains a series of "Fact Sheets" that provide information about minimum wage requirements, the way the Fair Labor Standards Act to different kinds of work, the Family Medical Leave Act and other laws that apply to workers. The web site is sponsored by the US Department of Labor, Administrative Standards, Wage and Hour Division. By: U.S. Department of Labor, Wage & Hour Division           What Georgia Employers Need to Know (Separate Website) An overview of the law as it affects private employers in Georgia. By: State Bar of Georgia          Work and Public Benefits      TANF: What Happens When I Go to Work? This document describes the different kinds of support services that families receiving TANF can get when the head of the household goes to work, such as child care, Medicaid health benefits and help with transportation. The document also describes what you can do if you do not get the support services you have asked for. By: Georgia Legal Services Program             Social Security No-Match Letters: Questions and Answers for Workers (Separate Website) This Q&A addresses frequently asked questions about workers' rights when their employer receives a Social-Security no-match letter. Please consult an attorney to get an evaluation of your claims. The document is PDF format. By: National Employment Law Project (NELP)     Read this in: Spanish / Español           Work and Public Housing and TANF Benefits Information on public housing policies which encourage tenants to work, including the "earned income disregard" which excludes certain earned income when calculating rent. By: Georgia Legal Services Program          Discrimination at Work     Race Discrimination      Affirmative Action (Separate Website) For federal contractors and subcontractors, affirmative action must be taken by covered employers to recruit and advance qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans. Affirmative actions include training programs, outreach efforts, and other positive steps. These procedures should be incorporated into the company?s written personnel policies. Employers with written affirmative action programs must implement them, keep them on file and update them annually. By: U.S. Department of Labor          Age Discrimination      Age Discrimination (Separate Website) This page provides answers to a number of questions about age discrimination in the workplace, including: 1. What is age discrimination? 2. Which federal law(s) cover older workers? 3. Who is covered by age discrimination laws? 4. Which employers are covered by the law? 5. Are all older workers protected under the law? 6. What forms of discrimination or unfair treatment are illegal? 7. What are valid reasons for an employer to fire an older worker? By: Workplace Fairness           Age Discrimination Laws and Information This document describes your rights under federal and state laws covering age discrimination. It explains the process to follow and provides information on how to make a claim. By: Elder Law Committee of State Bar of Georgia          Discrimination Against People with Disabilities      Americans with Disabilities Act - Answers to Common Questions (Separate Website) The Americans with Disabilities Act gives civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities similar to those provided to individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion. It guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, State and local government services, and telecommunications. This web page is designed to provide answers to some of the questions asked most often about the ADA. By: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission           Job Applicants and the Americans with Disabilities Act (Separate Website) If you are seeking a job or are new to the workforce, you should become familiar with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), a federal civil rights law designed to prevent discrimination and enable individuals with disabilities to participate fully in all aspects of society. One fundamental principle of the ADA is that individuals with disabilities who want to work and are qualified to work must have an equal opportunity to work. This brochure, from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission answers questions you may have about your employment rights under the ADA. By: EEOC           Americans with Disabilities Act (Separate Website) The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in employment, transportation, public accommodation, communications, and governmental activities. The ADA also establishes requirements for telecommunications relay services. By: U.S. Department of Labor