- Types of Workers
Every law gives different rights to different kinds of workers. Some workers have special protections. - Independent Contractors
- Union Members
- Probation and Probationary Workers
- Part-time Workers
- Members of the Military, Guard, and Reserves
- English-Only Rules
Bosses sometimes make a rule that workers can't speak any language (other than English) at work -- even if there's no business reason. Many of these rules are not legal. - Computer Monitoring
Bosses often keep track of workers, through their computers, PDAs, and phones. It's best to assume that you are being monitored. Don't do anything which would be a problem if your boss found it. - Personnel and HR Rules
Workers generally have two problems with the rules that bosses make:
1) the rules are stupid, unfair, and don't help get the work done; or
2) only some workers have to follow the rules, while others can get away with ignoring them.
No matter how stupid, unfair, or illogical, rules are not illegal unless they break a law -- if the rule ends up discriminating against a group of legally protected workers, if it means that workers don't get paid as they should or takes away some other legal right, or if it hurts only workers that the boss wants to retaliate against for legally protected activity. - Privacy and Free Speech
