Know your rights

Add comment March 20th, 2008

Ever wonder exactly what your employer can and can’t do to you under federal labor law? Or if your boss’ obnoxious comments qualify as sexual harassment? Or whether you should get paid for that 5-minute cigarette break?

Well, there’s a Web site that explains all the federal rules governing workers in straightforward question-and-answer format.

For instance, did you know that federal law does not guarantee you the right to a meal break during eight hours of work? Fewer than half the states have such guarantees (Illinois only protects break times for hotel workers in Cook County).

Nearly all employers give lunch breaks anyway because, well, it’s a smart thing to do to avoid open revolt among staff. I don’t know about you, but if my company forced me to go without food for eight hours, I would incite an uprising.

I’m not a union agitator. But when I get hungry, I’m not responsible for my actions.

Anyway, workplacefairness.org is a wealth of information about all facets of workers’ rights. Check it out.