Hi. I’m an employment law attorney. I see plenty of illegal shit on this sub. I’d like y’all to know basic worker’s rights. Let’s start with a common one: Pay Secrecy. (With links to sources that you can print out for employers.)

First, a disclaimer: Yes, I am an attorney but I am not your attorney so NONE of this is legal advice. In fact, NOTHING I say on reddit will ever be legal advice. If you need an attorney please contact your state bar association for a referral.

Pay Secrecy refers to the practice many employers use to prevent employees from talking about their wages. Employers cannot forbid employees from talking about their wages because this activity is protected concerted activity under the NLRA. Fun fact: Concerted Activity is the only right all employees have under the NLRA regardless of whether they are in a union.

Any retaliation based on protected activity is also illegal and actionable. Retaliation is any adverse employment action such as a verbal warning, a written warning, a demotion, etc.

You should always report illegal activity! “If you don't use your rights, you lose them” and this is especially true in employment law where there is usually a statute of limitations attached.

Remember: report to federal agencies as well as state (ex: federal DOL and your state equivalent)

How to report illegal pay secrecy policies:

1. DOL – https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/contact/complaints

2. NLRB – https://www.worker.gov/actions/nlrb-claim/ (This site gives an overview of how to file a complaint with the NLRB and links directly to their online form. It also has a lot of other useful information.)

Other Helpful Links:

1. DOL fact sheets – They have a few covering different subjects and all of them come in multiple languages. The one covering pay secrecy is second on this list and is titled Pay Transparency. Print them off and hand them out or post them at work.

2. NLRB website detailing Your Rights (including Your Right to Discuss Wages)

3. NLRB Employee Rights Notice Poster Request – It details your rights as well as illegal conduct for your employer and your union. This also comes in many languages (28 to be exact). Another good one to print off to hand out or post.

Once again, none of this is legal advice.

edit: This is all relevant information to workers (note: not just citizens) in the USA. I encourage people from other countries to post any relevant credible links to similar information. Solidarity!