Let's make a list of worker and consumer resources, especially for those living in the US. I have no expertise here, but I am betting many who frequent this Reddit do.
Eg, let's make a list of places workers can go for expert help when they need to:
- Whistleblow on illegal activity
- Try to start a union or see a union being busted.
- E.g. Need to know how to get started, what their rights are etc,
- Dealing with anti-union propaganda.
- How to organize. How to get lists of employees and communicate.
- Illegal business practices.
- Harassment by employer. Threats by the employer.
- Contract violations by a business.
- False advertising.
- Unsafe products for consumers (e.g. unsanitary conditions at a food place etc).
- Wage theft
- Tax dodging by employers.
- Illegal pollution
- Sexual or racial harassment
- Discrimination
- Forcing religion or political ideologies on employees.
- Free legal help if any for job-related issues.
- Unlawful termination
- Defrauding the government.
- Bribery on the part of the business.
- Tip stealing
- Employing people underage
- Unsafe working conditions.
- Being shut down by employers when trying to share salary information.
- How to handle things if you think you might be fired.
- Illegal privacy violations.
- Legality, of recording what your employer says/does or how to gather evidence of illicit behavior.
- In what circumstances it is better to quit or be fired, and how to maintain eligibility for unemployment benefits.
- Helpful lists of things to do and things NOT to do in particular cases.
- And also what can be done in cases of unethical but not-illegal business practices.
Resources that would be useful are ones that can help employees take legal action, protect themselves, or legally retaliate against the employer in order to deter such behavior in the future.
It would be nice to have a set of useful links for people who repeatedly run into the same problems.
Some of these might be state-based, so it would be good to list any special agencies by state, when relevant, that may help those who are facing issues with their employers.
I know that workers often have few options in the US where corporations are considered people and workers are considered expendable cogs, but there are some resources, even here. It is finding the reputable ones, and ones that work that is the issue.
Maybe such a list exists already, but I haven't seen it here.
If you have something to add to the list, please do so.
If you have an anecdote of how using the service benefitted you, even better. I think that a lot of people also need hope (real hope not false hope) and so anecdotes about any such resources would also be welcome.