On Your Own; Your Legal Right @ Eighteen On Your Own formatted final version | Page 51

you in finding employment without a fee. Local offices are located
throughout the state.
Regardless of what kind of job you are applying for it is important for you
to make a good impression. While certain jobs may require special skills or
experience, all employers are looking for employees who will be
dependable, hardworking, honest, pleasant, and positive at work.
No matter how you find a job, remember that federal and state laws make
it illegal for an employer to refuse to hire you because of your race or
color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical or mental
disability, religion, ancestry, national origin, place of birth, age, veteran
status, or crime victim status. Once you have a job, it is illegal to treat you
differently with regard to promotions, transfers, wages or other working
conditions for any of these reasons. In an interview, employers should
avoid asking you about these issues. However, employers may, in some
circumstances, inquire about whether you need any accommodations for
a physical or mental disability in order to perform the essential functions
of the job you seek.
If you feel you have been denied a job for an illegal reason, assistance is
available. You should contact the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission or the Civil Rights Unit of the Vermont Attorney General’s
Office. If you believe you were illegally denied employment by a state
agency you can contact the Vermont Human Rights Commission (802-828-
2480). If you file a complaint through these agencies, you are protected
from retaliation and cannot later be denied a job for filing a complaint.
Your Rights at Work
Among your rights at work are the right to be paid a minimum wage, and
in hourly jobs, to be paid overtime at one-and-a-half times your standard
rate of pay for time worked in excess of 40 hours per week. You also have
the right to join or form a labor union, and to undertake concerted action
with your fellow workers to seek higher wages and different working
conditions.
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