Department of Labor celebrates “Labor Month” by building stronger connections with community partners, and business owners.

See, Touch and Feel Labor Law Services

The Department of Labor is back to working in-person, providing services that constituents can see, touch and feel at a neighborhood level. The City's labor laws aim to increase economic opportunity and equity in all Philadelphia workplaces. The Office of Worker Protections has visited five business corridors throughout the city and connected with over 80 businesses in the past 6 months. We've set up resource tables at 14 community events and received over 400 calls on the worker protection hotline - informing hundreds of constituents on their rights under city labor laws.

Labor day "kicks off" the annual "Labor Month" programming for the Office of Worker Protections (OWP). In honor of Labor Month, the OWP hosted and partnered on a series of events with a goal to make worker's rights approachable and to increase awareness about laws that protect you when you are at work. This year's Labor Month programming included the following:

• The Office participated in Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO's Annual Tri-State Labor Day Parade and the Mexican Consulate's Labor Rights Week.

• The Office partnered with the 35th District Police District Advisory Council by tabling at the Annual Unity Day event on September 7th near the Olney Transportation Center. Thousandsof commuters travel through Olney Transportation Center everyday.
• The City's Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services hosted the annualImmigrant and Refugee Career Fairand the Office of Worker Protections presented on worker's rights and tabled during the event.
• On September 26, 2024, the Office of Worker Protections co-hosted a webinar with the Mexican Consulate with panelists from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Federal Department of Homeland Security to explain processes for deferred action in support of labor law enforcement and the basics to understanding visas. The webinar had over 30 registrants and was conducted in English and Spanish.

Retaliation is illegal.

There are over 700,000 Philadelphia workers and every worker is protected by at least one of the City's labor laws, regardless of the worker's immigration status and each of the City's labor laws protect workers from retaliation.This means it is illegal for employers to interfere with or deny workers rights that are provided by Philadelphia labor laws.The Department of Labor continues to work to bring dignity and respect to every workplace, for every worker in the city, through enforcing and advancing labor laws with a commitment to promoting economic security and racial justice. The Office of Worker Protections distributed 1,000 educational flyers, held 5 labor law trainings and conducted 35 drop ins to small businessesand the public during labor month regarding labor law and retaliation protections.