Knowing Your Benefits

“Employers may offer you more than money. They may offer health insurance, paid time off, childcare reimbursement, help with tuition, free training, and other benefits. These can make a lower-paying job more valuable to you than a higher-paying job that doesn’t offer the same benefits.

Job benefits may be listed in the job posting or in the careers section of their website. Or they may tell you about them during an interview. Make sure you find out when they begin: Some may start immediately while others start after you’ve been working in the job for a period of time.” — Connecticut Department of Labor

Knowing Your Rights

[composed with assistance from AI]

Understanding your rights in a new job

Starting a new job is an exciting time, and understanding your rights as an employee is crucial. Federal and state laws establish a baseline for fair treatment and a safe work environment. Here’s a breakdown of your key rights in the U.S.:

Freedom from discrimination and harassment: 

• Protected Characteristics: You have the right to work free from discrimination and harassment based on characteristics like race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and transgender status), national origin, disability, genetic information, and age (if 40 or older). Your employer cannot make hiring, firing, promotion, training, wage, or benefits decisions based on these protected characteristics.
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• Harassment-Free Workplace: Harassment based on protected characteristics is also illegal when it creates a hostile work environment, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
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• Retaliation Protection: You have the right to report discrimination or harassment without fear of punishment or retaliation from your employer.

Fair wages and hours

• Minimum Wage: You are entitled to at least the federal minimum wage ($7.25/hour) or your state’s minimum wage if it’s higher.
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• Overtime Pay: If you are a non-exempt employee, you must receive overtime pay (one-and-a-half times your regular rate) for hours worked over 40 in a workweek, says the U.S. Department of Labor.
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• Accurate Recordkeeping: Employers must maintain accurate records of your hours worked and wages paid.

Safe workplace

• Hazard-Free Environment: Your employer must provide a workplace free from known health and safety hazards.
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• Safety Training and Equipment: You have the right to receive necessary safety training and equipment (like gloves, safety glasses) in a language you understand.
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• Refusal to Work in Danger: You may have a legal right to refuse to work in situations presenting immediate danger of serious harm, but it’s important to understand the specific conditions and potential risks involved, according to SafetyWorks.
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• Reporting Concerns: You can report unsafe conditions to your employer or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) without fear of retaliation.

Family and medical leave

• FMLA Rights: The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) grants eligible employees of covered employers up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for qualifying family and medical reasons
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• Military Family Leave: FMLA also provides up to 26 weeks of unpaid leave to care for a covered service member with a serious injury or illness

Other important rights

• Right to Privacy: You have a right to keep your medical and genetic information private.
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• Reasonable Accommodations: You can request reasonable workplace changes for religious beliefs, medical conditions, or pregnancy-related conditions, and your employer should carefully consider these requests. [8, 20]