WHAT THIS GUIDE IS
This website is designed to inform farmworkers in the United States, as well as in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, of some of the protections extended to them by federal and state labor laws. It contains short, simplified descriptions of job-related laws and regulations which affect agricultural workers, and identifies the agencies responsible for enforcing them. In general, each of the 871 legal provisions summarized in the guide imposes certain duties or restrictions on farm employers for the protection or benefit of their employees, and authorizes penalties against employers who fail to comply.
WHAT THIS GUIDE IS NOT
The law summaries on this site do not represent an official interpretation of the law by any government agency or by any court, nor are they copies of the law itself. Not all employment-related protective provisions are mentioned, but only those which apply to some or all seasonal farmworkers, working on the farm in harvest and other field crop operations. Laws which completely exclude farmworkers from their coverage, and any conditions or exceptions to the law which are not likely to occur among or apply to farmworkers and their families, are not included.
HOW THE GUIDE IS ARRANGED
Federal Laws. The first section of the website contains descriptions of laws established by Congress, provisions which apply to affected employers and workers in all parts of the country and are administered by agencies of the U.S. government. The federal laws are grouped under ten distinct categories, according to the type of protection they offer to the worker. The popular name of each law is marked by a rectangular symbol ("◼"), followed by a summary of its main provisions ("Terms"), the name of the agency which administers or enforces it ("Enforcement"), and in some cases a note or two about special rights under the law, limitations on the law's enforcement, or related details.
State Laws. Labor protections established by the legislatures of the 50 states and Puerto Rico are described in the second section of the site. The laws of a particular state apply to workers while they are living or working there, even if only temporarily, and may often provide workers with more favorable safeguards or benefits than federal laws dealing with the same subject. Like the summaries in the federal section, each state entry includes the common name of the law, a brief explanation of its terms and conditions, and the name, location, mail-address ZIP code, and telephone number of the enforcement agency's headquarters office.
Laws by Subject. Click this button and click on a specific topic of interest to see the law summaries in that category, sorted by state.
Related Programs and Enforcement Assistance. The bottom button on the home page takes you to information regarding several sources of help for farmworkers who have questions about their job-related rights, or a specific complaint about some aspect of their employment, which cannot be resolved by contacting the proper enforcement agency.
State Laws. Labor protections established by the legislatures of the 50 states and Puerto Rico are described in the second section of the site. The laws of a particular state apply to workers while they are living or working there, even if only temporarily, and may often provide workers with more favorable safeguards or benefits than federal laws dealing with the same subject. Like the summaries in the federal section, each state entry includes the common name of the law, a brief explanation of its terms and conditions, and the name, location, mail-address ZIP code, and telephone number of the enforcement agency's headquarters office.
Laws by Subject. Click this button and click on a specific topic of interest to see the law summaries in that category, sorted by state.
Related Programs and Enforcement Assistance. The bottom button on the home page takes you to information regarding several sources of help for farmworkers who have questions about their job-related rights, or a specific complaint about some aspect of their employment, which cannot be resolved by contacting the proper enforcement agency.
GETTING HELP FROM A FEDERAL OR STATE ENFORCEMENT AGENCY
A worker who is faced with a problem or question related to a law mentioned in this guide may contact the nearest office of the enforcement agency identified in the summary. Many local or area offices of federal agencies may be found in the local telephone directory, listed under "United States Government," or on the website USA.gov. Likewise, local or district offices of a state agency may be listed in the telephone book under the name of the state, or can be located by calling the agency's headquarters office at the number shown in the summary or by entering the agency name on an Internet search engine like Google or Bing.
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
The material contained in this publication is based on laws in effect and other existing circumstances as of early 2017. The reader should keep in mind that the laws do change, and any question about the current language or interpretation of a law or regulation should be referred to an appropriate agency or a knowledgeable attorney.
Workers should also be aware that the existence of a law does not guarantee that it will be properly enforced. When a complaint to a public agency is not resolved to the worker's satisfaction, it is advised that the worker contact a legal services program or a private attorney about the possibility of court action.
Workers should also be aware that the existence of a law does not guarantee that it will be properly enforced. When a complaint to a public agency is not resolved to the worker's satisfaction, it is advised that the worker contact a legal services program or a private attorney about the possibility of court action.