If you are a low-wage worker or you are with an organization that supports low-wage workers, you can host a know-your-rights workshop on Employment Law, Consumer Law, or Landlord-Tenant Law. We will come to you - free of charge - and provide the information low-wage workers need to protect their rights and seek justice when abuses occur.
Why does the Heartland Center for Jobs and Freedom conduct free “know your rights” workshops?
There is a crisis in the world of civil justice. Low-wage workers are experiencing astonishing numbers of abuses on the job, wrongful evictions from homes, and scams by predatory businesses but they cannot access the legal help they need to defend themselves. In fact, four out of five people with low-incomes cannot find legal assistance. Our workshops provide critical legal information to low-wage workers (and the organizations that support them) in the areas where workers need help the most: employment law, consumer law, and landlord-tenant law.
What happens at a Heartland Center “know your rights” workshop?
Each workshop includes an interactive presentation and in-class exercises that depict various scenarios where legal abuses commonly occur. We equip participants with information about how to recognize violations, how to protect one’s rights, and how to seek assistance when abuses occur. We tailor the content of each workshop to fit the organization’s needs. We can also follow the presentation with a legal clinic that gives low-wage workers the opportunity to meet with an attorney on-the-spot and discuss issues they are having in the areas of tenant, consumer or employment law.
Who are Heartland Center “know your rights” workshops intended for?
We conduct workshops for Missouri organizations that serve low-wage workers and for low-wage workers who want to get together for their own workshop. Organizations that can benefit from workshops include churches, social service agencies, student organizations, labor organizations, community organizations, and neighborhood associations, among others. We encourage organizations to invite their staff and the low-wage workers they serve to attend.
How long are the workshops?
Workshops are typically one to two hours. However, we can tailor a program that fits your time constraints. We can also conduct a series of shorter workshops.
What can I do to support the Heartland Center’s legal rights campaign?
- Call us about volunteering
- Let others know about the workshops
- Make a financial contribution to help us reach more low-wage workers
What are the available workshop topics?
Protect Your Check – a work shop on wage and hour violations.
Equality for All – a workshop on discrimination in the workplace.
Criminal History and Employment – your rights when it comes to background checks.
When Your Home is at Stake –tenant-landlord disputes and keeping judgments off your record.
Stop the Harassment – how to deal with phone calls, letters, and lawsuits from debt collectors and protect your credit.
Your Trip to the Car Lot – how to protect yourself when purchasing a used car and what to do when the deal goes bad.