Know Your Rights: Building a Foundation for Career Stability

Every worker and every jobseeker has rights. Whether you are entering the workforce for the first time, returning after a gap, or navigating a career transition, understanding what you are entitled to is one of the most powerful tools you can carry.

In Philadelphia, those protections are real. They are enforceable. Knowing them puts you in a stronger position at every stage of your career.

The Pennsylvania Human Relations Act and Philadelphia’s Fair Practices Ordinance prohibit workplace discrimination based on race, color, gender, age, disability, national origin, and more. These protections apply during hiring, throughout employment, and in how workers are treated on the job.

If you have experienced unfair treatment in the hiring process or workplace, you have options, and you do not have to navigate them alone.

For jobseekers navigating a past record, Philadelphia’s protections have recently expanded. The Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards Ordinance, known as Ban the Box, was significantly strengthened effective January 6, 2026.

Employers can now only consider misdemeanor convictions from the past four years, down from seven. Summary offenses can no longer be considered, and expunged or sealed records are fully off limits.

If an employer intends to make a decision based on your record, they must give you written notice and allow at least ten business days to respond before any final decision is made.

Access to that information is part of what makes forward movement possible.

Knowing your rights opens the door. Building skills is how you walk through it.

Through Workforce Development and Urban Tech pathways, the Urban League offers training in digital literacy, IT certifications, data analytics, and construction trades, all designed around your goals and your schedule.

Our team provides coaching, skills training, and direct connections to employers who are hiring, wherever you are in your journey.

You deserve a fair shot.

Be Part of the Work That Moves Us Forward

Every program, every training, and every success story is made possible by a community that believes in equity and opportunity for all. Your support helps us continue delivering life-changing resources to individuals and families across Greater Philadelphia.

Join us in building stronger futures:

Join us in building stronger futures:

Momentum Newsletter: April 2026 | Issue 4