• Disability Accommodations
• Discrimination – Race, Sex, Disability, etc.
• Employment Complaints
• Family and Medical Leave
• Federal (U.S. Government) Employees
• Pensions
• Professional Licenses
• Safety and Health 
• Taxes
• Wage & Hour, Overtime, Unpaid Wages
• Unemployment Compensation
• Unions
• Whistleblowers
• Women and Work
• Workers Compensation (On the job injury)

Legal Issues

Disability Accommodations - See Discrimination

Family and Medical Leave

U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau
Phone: 1-800-827-5335                            Hours: Monday-Friday 11:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.  

Provides information for women in the workforce, including:

• statistical information

• publications and

• regional programs such as "Women Managing Those Dollars"

U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, General Office
Phone: 1-866-4-USWAGE (1-866-487-9243)    Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.- 8:00 p.m.
(unpaid overtime)

Live assistance is available in English and Spanish.  Additional service is available in more than 140 languages through a translation service.

The Department of Labor (DOL) provides "compliance assistance" to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) governing overtime pay.  DOL provides information on:

• the importance of recordkeeping

• Compliance assistance materials, such as information on DOL's FairPay Overtime Initiative and

• Comprehensive information on family and medical leave.

U.S Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, Field Office
Phone: (410) 962-4984
Location:
Room 207 Appraisers Stores Building
103 South Gay Street
Baltimore, MD 21202

The Wage and Hour Division (WHD) is responsible for administering and enforcing some of our nation’s most comprehensive labor laws, including:

• the minimum wage, overtime, and child labor provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA);

•  the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA);

• the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA)

National Partnership for Women and Families
Phone: 202-986-2600        

A nonprofit advocacy group"promote fairness in the workplace, quality health care, and policies that help women and men meet the dual demands of work and family."  This organization does not provide legal representation, but will provide referrals to other organizations.

The National Partnership provides useful information on topics such as:

• Family and Medical Leave 

• Workplace Discrimination

• Workplace Flexibility

OPM Oversight Division for Problems with Federal Human Resources Departments
Phone: 202-606-2990

Portal website to the extensive on-line information on federal government job-related issues (health, retirement, discrimination complaints, wages and salaries). Useful search engine locates the extensive publications, regulations and polices.

OPM Retirement Information and Services  
Phone: 202-606-0500

Provides retirement information for current and former employees of the federal government.  The website allows employees to find general and personal information about retirement benefits and make changes concerning annuity payments.  

Pensions

Pensions and Divorce

• Finding the law for Pensions and Domestic Relations Orders
• How will my divorce affect my pension benefits?

Professional Licenses

Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing
Division of the MD Department of Labor  - the useful website includes

• On-line complaint form, downloadable forms for license application

Also includes useful link to MD statutes and COMAR  that control the various Occupational and Licensing Boards

Safety and Health 

U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Maryland Office
Phone: 410-865-2055/2056        Hours: 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

This OSHA office handles occupational safety and health issues for federal agencies in Maryland and Washington D.C.  If the caller has a problem with a state, local agency or private company refer them to MOSH.   

National Institute for Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Phone: 1-800-35-NIOSH (4674)       Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m

NIOSH provides technical information to the public.  Callers may request publications  and  information on occupational safety and health.  The hotline should not be used to report medical emergencies.

Taxes

IRS

• Live Telephone Assistance
  Phone: 1-800-829-1040           Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

• Taxpayer Advocate Service
  Phone: (410) 962-2082 in Baltimore or 1-877-777-4778 elsewhere.   

Comptroller of Maryland

• Income tax liabilities:
  Phone: 410-974-2432 from Central Maryland or toll-free 1-888-674-0016 from elsewhere

• Personal income tax returns:
  Phone: 410-260-7980 or toll-free 1-800-MD TAXES (1-800-638-2937)

Wage & Hour, Overtime, Unpaid Wages

Maryland Division of Labor and Employment, Employment Standard Services (ESS)
Phone: (410) 767-2357 (unpaid wages only)

Provides information on wages and employment rights under Maryland law. On receipt of a proper claim for unpaid wages, ESS will conduct an independent investigation and work to collect any pay which is determined due. This may include taking the employer to court if the matter cannot be informally settled.

U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, General Office
Phone: 1-866-4-USWAGE (1-866-487-9243) (unpaid overtime)

The Department of Labor (DOL) provides "compliance assistance" to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) governing overtime pay.  DOL provides information on:

• the importance of recordkeeping

• Compliance assistance materials, such as information on DOL's FairPay Overtime Initiative and

• Comprehensive information on family and medical leave

U.S Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, Field Office
Phone: (410) 962-4984
Location:
Room 207 Appraisers Stores Building
103 South Gay Street
Baltimore, MD 21202

The Wage and Hour Division (WHD) is responsible for administering and enforcing some of our nation’s most comprehensive labor laws, including:

• the minimum wage, overtime, and child labor provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA);

•  the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA);

• the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA)

Unions

AFL-CIO Metropolitan Washington Council
Phone: 202-756-4150

Portal website with information on finding and joining local unions.

National Labor Relations Board Baltimore office
Phone: 410-962-2822                                   Hours: 8:15 am - 4:45 pm
Location:
The Appraisers Store Building
103 S. Gay Street - 8th Floor
Baltimore, MD 21202-4061

The National Labor Relations Board is an independent federal agency.  Local field offices investigate allegations of unfair labor practices to determine:

• whether there is cause to believe that the National Labor Relations Act has been violated and

• conduct secret-ballot elections to determine whether employees desire union representation.

If a caller has a employment question or problem they may contact an Information Officer.  The Information Officer will answer the questions and assist the caller in filing a charge or petition.

Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA)

Portal website with information for federal employees.  The FLRA is an independent agency that administers the labor-management relations program. 

• The primary statutory responsibilities of the FLRA include: 

• resolving complaints of unfair labor practices,

• determining the appropriateness of units for labor organization representation,

•  adjudicating exceptions to arbitrator's awards,

• adjudicating legal issues relating to duty to bargain/negotiability, and

• resolving impasses during negotiations.

Resources available includes:

• Forms and Checklists

• Where to call for information  and

• Statutes, regulations and decisions

Maryland State Labor Relation Board
Phone: 410-260-7291
Location: 45 Calvert Street, Room 134, Annapolis, Maryland 21401

State agency responsible for establishing procedures for and supervising the conduct of union elections; investigating and acting in response to complaints of unfair labor practices; and generally enforcing the collective bargaining laws of the state.
 

Whistleblowers

Government Accountability Project (GAP)
Phone: 202-408-0034

GAP runs the Whistleblower Support Network, providing whistleblowers with the following resources:

• information on who qualifies as a whistleblower

• "Blowing the Whistle: Twelve Survival Strategies" - a guide on to deciding to blow the whistle

• information and links to how and where to file a complaint

• GAP publications

Note: Participation in the Whistleblower Support Network does not mean that GAP is representing an individuals case. "The program is intended to facilitate dialogue between whistleblowers, not to render or facilitate legal advice. Thus, GAP is not responsible for any advice given to or by participating whistleblowers."

National Whistleblower Legal Defense and Education Fund
Phone: (202)-342-1903                     Hours: 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
Fax: (202) 342-1904

A non-profit law firm conjunction with the National Whistleblower Center to protect whistleblowers.  The fund represent whistleblowers who reveal fraud in government contracting, national security, environmental protection, nuclear safety, and government and corporate accountability. 

The Fund operates an attorney referral service hotline to assist callers with obtaining legal counsel to represent them in whistleblowing cases.  Whistleblowers can either call the hotline or intake form and send it to us via U.S. Mail, Fax or e-mail (info@whistleblowers.org)

The Fund also whistleblowers with forms to report fraud within the government.

Women and Work

Gender Discrimination Hotline
Equal Right Advocates, a California-based nonprofit founded by 4 female attorneys, that focuses on impact litigation on gender discrimination issues and offers

• a useful website that includes a summary of current impact cases on which ERA is working; and  

• a free hotline staffed by supervised law students on issues of :

• Different treatment at work or school because of gender

• Unequal pay at work because of gender

• Pregnancy discrimination or maternity leave problems at work

• Sexual harassment at work or school

• Mistreatment for complaining about gender discrimination at work

• Family medical leave issues

• Hotline Phone Number:  1-800-839-4ERA  

  • Hotline hours: Monday: 6-8pm; Thursday: 1-3 pm

Note: Callers may leave a message at anytime and the counselor will call back. No income guidelines. Non-English help available. No third parties.

9 to 5- Job Survival Hotline
Phone: 1-800-522-0925                  Hours: M,W 2 p.m. – 7p.m.; T, Th 11a.m. 4 p.m  Callers can leave messages

9to5 is a national organization "dedicated to putting working women’s issues on the public agenda. 9 to5's constituents are low-wage women, women in traditionally female jobs, and those who've experienced any form of discrimination."

Hotline provides information on legal rights, strategies to win fair treatment on the job.

National Partnership for Women and Families
Phone: 202-986-2600        

A nonprofit advocacy group"promote fairness in the workplace, quality health care, and policies that help women and men meet the dual demands of work and family."  This organization does not provide legal representation, but will provide referrals to other organizations.

The National Partnership provides useful information on topics such as:

• Family and Medical Leave 

• Workplace Discrimination

• Workplace Flexibility

Workers Compensation

Workers' Compensation Commission
State agency adjudicates claims for compensation arising under Workers' Compensation law.  Workers’ Comp Board claims tips/info or call for claim form.
Phone: (metro/Baltimore)(410) 864-5100 or 1-800-492-0479        Hours: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Location: 10 East Baltimore St., 4th floor, Baltimore, MD 21202-1641

U.S. Office of Workers Compensation, National Call Center
Phone: 1-866-4-USA-DOL (1-866-487-2365)       Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

The Office of Workers' Compensation Programs administers four major disability compensation programs which provide wage replacement benefits, medical treatment, vocational rehabilitation and other benefits to certain workers or their dependents who experience work-related injury or occupational disease.

These programs are:

• Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program

• The Federal Employees' Compensation Act

• The Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Program

• The Black Lung Benefits Program

Note: Callers injured on the job while employed by private companies or state and local government agencies should contact Maryland's Worker's Compensation Committee.

MD Workforce Exchange

Online service matching employers and job seekers. Allows job-seekers to post their resume online, search available jobs and apply to jobs posted. Users may search by job location and type. Jobs range from administrative/clerical to technical/skilled labor positions. Operated by the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.

MD One Stop Career Center

Center locations and an informational website for each county. Operated by the MD Department of Labor which describes the network as  “part of a nationwide system that provides job information and services to job seekers and employers. Our offices have resource areas equipped with internet access, a variety job search resource materials, and resume writing software. We also provide on-line computer access, audio-visual libraries, free faxing, copying and telephone services for job search, and a variety of workshops to assist you in finding employment.”

• See county listings for individual referrals

Job Corps
Phone: 1-800-733-JOBS (5627)

Job Corps is a no-cost education and vocational training program administered by the U.S. Department of Labor that helps young people ages 16 through 24 receive training and prepare for a career.

Job Corps eligibility requirements:

• Be 16 through 24;
• Be a U.S. citizen or legal resident;
• Meet income requirements; and,
• Be ready, willing, and able to participate fully in an educational environment.

The Maryland Department of Education Adult Education and Literacy Services

Provides detailed information on State and federally funded adult education and literacy programs available to Maryland residents. Includes contact names, phone numbers and email addresses for MSDE employees managing the State’s adult literacy and GED programs.
 

The Maryland Adult Literacy Resource Center
Phone: (410) 455-6725

Operated by UMBC (University of Maryland, Baltimore County), the Center provides information on literacy and GED classes available by county, application and online prep for the GED exam, family literacy resources and a variety of other information. The Center also maintains a lending library covering adult literacy and education materials.

• Information on taking the GED in Maryland  and
• County listing of literacy programs