This section of PALawHelp.org has information and resources about Employee Rights in Pennsylvania.
Click on a resource category listed below to see information related to that category.
Do You Have a Criminal Record? You May Be Able to Seal it! - MyCleanSlatePA
MyCleanSlate.com provides information on the rights of individuals who have criminal records and how to seal or clear those records. The Clean Slate Screener on this page is an automated service provided by Community Legal Services, a non-profit legal services organization. The mission of this service is to provide free information so that more Pennsylvanians can clear their records.
Employer Background Checks and Your Rights
If you’re applying for a job or a promotion, an employer might run a background check. Federal law and some state laws give you rights when this happens. Employers must get your written permission before running a background check from a background reporting company. You have the right to say no, but if you do, you may not get the job.
Employment At Will
Information from Community Legal Services of Philadelphia about your right to have and keep a job.
Employment Discrimination
Employment discrimination is when a company treats an employee differently than other employees because of his or her race, color, age, sex, pregnancy, ancestry, religion, disability, national origin, retaliation, or sexual orientation. Information from Neighborhood Legal Services Association on discrimination in the workplace.
Employment of Minors: Child Labor Act
The Child Labor Act provides for the health, safety and welfare of minors by prohibiting their employment or work in certain establishments and occupations; under certain ages, restricting their hours of labor; regulating certain conditions of their employment; and requiring work permits for minors under the age of 18. If you think you have witnessed or experienced a Child Labor Act violation, you can file a complaint through this page and the Department of Labor & Industry will investigate.
Firing
Information from the Erie County Bar Association on an employee's rights upon being fired from a job. Pennsylvania is an “at-will” employment state. This means that, as a general rule, a person who is fired from his/her job will only be able to successfully sue their former employer in very limited circumstances explained in this article.. (February 2019)
Getting Fired and Quitting
Information from Neighborhood Legal Services Association about legal issues related to being fired from your job and about quitting your job.
How to Assert Your Rights in the Workplace
Information from Neighborhood Legal Services Association on what your rights are in the workplace and how to assert those rights.
Know Your Employment Rights
Fact sheet from MidPenn Legal Services outlining the basic rights all employees have at their workplace. [PDF] (February 2014)
Know Your Employment Rights in Philadelphia!
Information from Community Legal Services of Philadelphia on employment rights including wages, unemployment compensation, family and medical leave, discrimination, workplace injuries, and unions. (January 2014)
Know Your Rights: Pregnant and Lactating Workers in Pennsylvania
Information from the Women's Law Project about the rights of workers who are pregnant, have given birth and are producing breast milk. (March 2023)
Know Your Rights - Wages and Hours (Video)
The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) has developed the “Know Your Rights” video series in English and Spanish to provide workers with useful basic information in different scenarios that workers encounter in the workplace.
Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Act
Information on the Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Act from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry including links to the full text of the law. The workers' compensation system protects employees and employers. Employees receive medical treatment and are compensated for lost wages associated with work-related injuries and disease, and employers provide for the cost of such coverage while being protected from direct lawsuits by employees.
Pregnancy Discrimination - Understanding Your Workplace Rights Related to Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Pregnant people have rights in the workplace. Laws prohibit workplace discrimination on the basis of pregnancy and require employers to provide accommodations to allow workers to work while pregnant. Breastfeeding workers also have rights to express breastmilk in the workplace so that they can maintain their milk supply and continue to nurse their babies after returning to work. The Women's Law Project provides information their rights for pregnant workers and workers who have recently had a baby.
Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
Information from Neighborhood Legal Services on sexual harassment in on the job. Sexual harassment is any unwanted conduct directed at a person because of their gender. There are two types of sexual harassment, “Quid Pro Quo Harassment”, which is when an employer makes job decisions based on the employee's interpersonal or sexual conduct and “Hostile Work Environment Harassment”, which is when an employee is forced to work in an offensive and abusive environment.
Sexual Harassment Protections in Pennsylvania
Experiencing workplace sexual harassment — whether it is verbal or physical — is never your fault. You have options. You do not have to go through this alone. This guide brings together information and resources on how to identify and report workplace harassment.
Termination
If you've lost your job, you have certain rights, such as the right to continue your health care coverage and, in some cases, the right to unemployment compensation. Here is some information on those rights from the United States Department of Labor.
Trans Youth Handbook
This Handbook was created to help you learn about your legal rights in different areas of your life. The information in this Handbook should not be considered legal advice. This Handbook provides legal information but does not attempt to apply that information to any specific situation. This guide was fully updated in September 2024 and partially updated in April 2025 to indicate areas where the law may be changing or uncertain.
Wages and Hours
Information from Neighborhood Legal Services Association on wage and hour issues including how to file a complaint.
Workers' Compensation
Consumer information pamphlet from the Pennsylvania Bar Association. The Workers’ Compensation Act provides for the payment of benefits to workers injured on the job. Injuries include occupational diseases and any aggravation or acceleration of a non-work-related condition that reduces your ability to work or results in death. [PDF] (November 2012)
Workers' Compensation
Information on Workers' Compensation benefits from the Erie County Bar Association. Workers' compensation provides benefits for employees in Pennsylvania who are injured in the performance of their employment. An injury can include traumatic injury or a disease. (February 2019)
Workers with Disabilities
Information from Neighborhood Legal Services Association about the protections of the Americans with Disabilities Act for workers with disabilities
Your Employer's Bankruptcy - How Will It Affect Your Employee Benefits?
Information from the United States Department of Labor on how your retirement and health benefits might be affected when your employer files for bankruptcy. (November 2016)
Forms and Documents (Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry)
Links to downloadable forms from the PA Department of Labor and Industry. The forms and documents page has important information about keeping safe at work, understanding your rights as an employee, and getting help if you are hurt on the job. It also has details about getting money if you can't work, and getting help to learn new skills if you need it.
Pennsylvania CareerLink - Commonwealth Workforce Development System
The Commonwealth Workforce Development System (CWDS) is an Internet-based system of services for use by customers and potential customers of the PA CareerLink® offices. CWDS provides online access to job openings; information about employers; services and training opportunities for job seekers; and labor market information. All of this is available by enrolling on-line with CWDS.
Do You Have a Criminal Record? You May Be Able to Seal it! - MyCleanSlatePA
MyCleanSlate.com provides information on the rights of individuals who have criminal records and how to seal or clear those records. The Clean Slate Screener on this page is an automated service provided by Community Legal Services, a non-profit legal services organization. The mission of this service is to provide free information so that more Pennsylvanians can clear their records.
Employment At Will
Information from Community Legal Services of Philadelphia about your right to have and keep a job.
Employment Discrimination
Employment discrimination is when a company treats an employee differently than other employees because of his or her race, color, age, sex, pregnancy, ancestry, religion, disability, national origin, retaliation, or sexual orientation. Information from Neighborhood Legal Services Association on discrimination in the workplace.
Getting Fired and Quitting
Information from Neighborhood Legal Services Association about legal issues related to being fired from your job and about quitting your job.
How to Assert Your Rights in the Workplace
Information from Neighborhood Legal Services Association on what your rights are in the workplace and how to assert those rights.
Know Your Employment Rights
Fact sheet from MidPenn Legal Services outlining the basic rights all employees have at their workplace. [PDF] (February 2014)
Know Your Employment Rights in Philadelphia!
Information from Community Legal Services of Philadelphia on employment rights including wages, unemployment compensation, family and medical leave, discrimination, workplace injuries, and unions. (January 2014)
Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
Information from Neighborhood Legal Services on sexual harassment in on the job. Sexual harassment is any unwanted conduct directed at a person because of their gender. There are two types of sexual harassment, “Quid Pro Quo Harassment”, which is when an employer makes job decisions based on the employee's interpersonal or sexual conduct and “Hostile Work Environment Harassment”, which is when an employee is forced to work in an offensive and abusive environment.
Wages and Hours
Information from Neighborhood Legal Services Association on wage and hour issues including how to file a complaint.
Workers with Disabilities
Information from Neighborhood Legal Services Association about the protections of the Americans with Disabilities Act for workers with disabilities
Collaborative Law
Consumer legal information brochure from the Pennsylvania Bar Association on Collaborative Law, a dispute resolution process that is an alternative to litigation. Each party hires a collaboratively trained lawyer, and both you and your respective lawyers all meet together to work things out face-to-face. Revised 1/13 [PDF]
Firing
Information from the Erie County Bar Association on an employee's rights upon being fired from a job. Pennsylvania is an “at-will” employment state. This means that, as a general rule, a person who is fired from his/her job will only be able to successfully sue their former employer in very limited circumstances explained in this article.. (February 2019)
Harassment
Information from the Erie County Bar Association on the offense of Harassment which is defined as the act of regular and/or continued unwanted and annoying actions of one party or a group, including threats and demands. The purposes may vary, including racial prejudice, personal malice, an attempt to force someone to quit a job or grant sexual favors, apply illegal pressure to collect a bill or merely gain sadistic pleasure from making someone anxious or fearful. (08/2018)
Sexual Harassment
Information from the Erie County Bar Association on sexual harassment in the workplace. Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination.
Workers' Compensation
Consumer information pamphlet from the Pennsylvania Bar Association. The Workers’ Compensation Act provides for the payment of benefits to workers injured on the job. Injuries include occupational diseases and any aggravation or acceleration of a non-work-related condition that reduces your ability to work or results in death. [PDF] (November 2012)
Workers' Compensation
Information on Workers' Compensation benefits from the Erie County Bar Association. Workers' compensation provides benefits for employees in Pennsylvania who are injured in the performance of their employment. An injury can include traumatic injury or a disease. (February 2019)
Know Your Rights: Pregnant and Lactating Workers in Pennsylvania
Information from the Women's Law Project about the rights of workers who are pregnant, have given birth and are producing breast milk. (March 2023)
Pregnancy Discrimination - Understanding Your Workplace Rights Related to Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Pregnant people have rights in the workplace. Laws prohibit workplace discrimination on the basis of pregnancy and require employers to provide accommodations to allow workers to work while pregnant. Breastfeeding workers also have rights to express breastmilk in the workplace so that they can maintain their milk supply and continue to nurse their babies after returning to work. The Women's Law Project provides information their rights for pregnant workers and workers who have recently had a baby.
A Guide for People with Disabilities Seeking Employment
If you are seeking a job or are new to the workforce, you should become familiar with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), a federal civil rights law designed to prevent discrimination and enable individuals with disabilities to participate fully in all aspects of society. One fundamental principle of the ADA is that individuals with disabilities who want to work and are qualified to work must have an equal opportunity to work. This brochure from the U.S. Department of Justice answers questions you may have about your employment rights under the ADA. (February 25, 2020)
Continuation of Health Coverage - COBRA
The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) gives workers and their families who lose their health benefits the right to choose to continue group health benefits provided by their group health plan for limited periods of time under certain circumstances such as voluntary or involuntary job loss, reduction in the hours worked, transition between jobs, death, divorce, and other life events. Qualified individuals may be required to pay the entire premium for coverage up to 102% of the cost to the plan.
EEOC Publications
Listing of publications from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on a variety of subjects relating to equal employment opportunity and employment discrimination.
Employee Retirement Income Security Act - ERISA
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) is a federal law that sets minimum standards for most voluntarily established retirement and health plans in private industry to provide protection for individuals in these plans.
Employer Background Checks and Your Rights
If you’re applying for a job or a promotion, an employer might run a background check. Federal law and some state laws give you rights when this happens. Employers must get your written permission before running a background check from a background reporting company. You have the right to say no, but if you do, you may not get the job.
Employment Laws: Disability & Discrimination
Information from the U.S. Department of Labor about the five important federal laws that protect individuals with disabilities from discrimination in employment and the job application process.
Employment of Minors: Child Labor Act
The Child Labor Act provides for the health, safety and welfare of minors by prohibiting their employment or work in certain establishments and occupations; under certain ages, restricting their hours of labor; regulating certain conditions of their employment; and requiring work permits for minors under the age of 18. If you think you have witnessed or experienced a Child Labor Act violation, you can file a complaint through this page and the Department of Labor & Industry will investigate.
Federal Laws Prohibiting Job Discrimination - Questions And Answers
Information from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on the federal laws covering job discrimination and what discriminatory practices are prohibited by these laws.
Forms and Documents (Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry)
Links to downloadable forms from the PA Department of Labor and Industry. The forms and documents page has important information about keeping safe at work, understanding your rights as an employee, and getting help if you are hurt on the job. It also has details about getting money if you can't work, and getting help to learn new skills if you need it.
General Wage & Hour Questions
Frequently asked questions from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry on wage & hour requirements in Pennsylvania.
Know Your Rights - Wages and Hours (Video)
The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) has developed the “Know Your Rights” video series in English and Spanish to provide workers with useful basic information in different scenarios that workers encounter in the workplace.
Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Act
Information on the Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Act from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry including links to the full text of the law. The workers' compensation system protects employees and employers. Employees receive medical treatment and are compensated for lost wages associated with work-related injuries and disease, and employers provide for the cost of such coverage while being protected from direct lawsuits by employees.
Portability of Health Coverage (HIPAA)
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) provides rights and protections for participants and beneficiaries in group health plans. HIPAA includes protections for coverage under group health plans that prohibit discrimination against employees and dependents based on their health status; and allow a special opportunity to enroll in a new plan to individuals in certain circumstances.
Retirement Plans-Benefits & Savings
Information from the United States Department of Labor regarding retirement plans offered by your employer.
Sexual Harassment Protections in Pennsylvania
Experiencing workplace sexual harassment — whether it is verbal or physical — is never your fault. You have options. You do not have to go through this alone. This guide brings together information and resources on how to identify and report workplace harassment.
Termination
If you've lost your job, you have certain rights, such as the right to continue your health care coverage and, in some cases, the right to unemployment compensation. Here is some information on those rights from the United States Department of Labor.
What is Human Trafficking? (Video)
Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act. Every year, millions of men, women, and children are trafficked worldwide – including right here in the United States. It can happen in any community and victims can be any age, race, gender, or nationality. This video from the Department of Homeland Security's Blue Campaign, and information at the link, helps answer the question "What is Human Trafficking?"
Your Employer's Bankruptcy - How Will It Affect Your Employee Benefits?
Information from the United States Department of Labor on how your retirement and health benefits might be affected when your employer files for bankruptcy. (November 2016)
Youth Rules!
This website from the United States Department of Labor provides information on the laws relating to workers under the age of 18.
Trans Youth Handbook
This Handbook was created to help you learn about your legal rights in different areas of your life. The information in this Handbook should not be considered legal advice. This Handbook provides legal information but does not attempt to apply that information to any specific situation. This guide was fully updated in September 2024 and partially updated in April 2025 to indicate areas where the law may be changing or uncertain.