The National Labor Relations Act extends rights to most private sector employees, to their employers, and to unions/labor organizations.
The NLRA protects workers who form, join, support or assist unions, also known as labor organizations, and protects groups of workers (two or more employees) who engage in protected concerted activities without a union seeking to modify their wages or working conditions. The Act protects non-union and union employees against employer and union discrimination based on union-related activities or other protected concerted activities. Please read the "Basic Guide to the National Labor Relations Act" [PDF] [HTML] [PDF (Chinese)] for more information about what laws extend to the private workplace.
Employees, who are not in a union or part of a recognized bargaining unit, and deemed to be employed "at-will" may be fired, suspended, transferred, demoted, or otherwise disciplined by their employer for any reason, provided the employer's conduct does not violate the NLRA, which would be considered an "unfair labor practice", or another federal or state statute. Some states have laws that extend rights to at-will employees. Anyone employed "at-will", who wants to pursue a case against an employer for alleged wrongful discipline, discharge or other retaliation, should seek advice from a private attorney.
There are many other labor issues that affect employees and the workplace that do not fall under the NLRB's jurisdiction.
Click here for a list of industries not covered by the NLRA.
You may also go to the Referral Guide or the Frequently Asked Questions for information about the responsibilities of various other federal and state agencies that may assist you with different job-related problems.
If you have a question about a workplace problem, call an NLRB Information Officer. Information Officers are available by phone or by walking into our Regional Offices during business hours. Because questions about your rights warrant a full understanding of the facts involved, we generally discourage communications about your workplace problems by E-mail. Find the nearest NLRB office by visiting the page titled Locating Our Offices.