Your rights at work, red flags to watch for, and how to negotiate your salary with confidence.
General information, not legal advice. Employment law differs by country, and often by state or province. This checklist does not establish your legal rights or whether a particular employer has broken the law. Check your local employment authority, and speak to a qualified legal professional if you think your rights have been breached.
If you are concerned about unequal pay, keep the relevant details and ask your local employment authority what protections and comparison rules apply.
Protected characteristics, exceptions and complaint deadlines vary. Check the rules where you work rather than assuming one country's rules apply everywhere.
Ask for written pay, hours, duties and other terms before accepting. What an employer must provide, and when, depends on local law and your employment status.
Raise a safety concern promptly and follow the relevant emergency or reporting procedure. The legal conditions for refusing work and protections against retaliation vary; seek local safety advice.
Ask whether the employer provides references and what its policy covers. A duty to provide a reference, and what it may contain, depends on the situation and local rules.
Check the jurisdiction, employment status, qualifying conditions and deadlines that apply to your situation.
A focused interviewer keeps questions tied to the role and your experience. If the conversation drifts into personal territory unrelated to the job, it is fair to steer it back to your qualifications.
You can say:
"I'd love to walk you through how my experience fits this role — shall I take you through a recent example?"
Ask how a personal question relates to the work. Rules on discrimination and job-related language requirements vary by jurisdiction and role.
You can say:
"I'd prefer to focus on my qualifications. I can explain how my language skills meet this role's needs."
These questions may raise discrimination concerns, but the protected grounds and exceptions differ by location. You can redirect to the work and seek local advice.
You can say:
"I'm fully committed to this role and available for the responsibilities outlined in the job description."
Before doing a task, ask about its length, purpose, payment and how the work will be used. There is no universal time limit that makes unpaid work acceptable or lawful.
You can say:
"I'd be happy to do a short practical exercise. For longer projects, I usually discuss compensation terms first."
A short deadline can make it hard to review an offer. Ask for the terms in writing and a reasonable time to consider; a deadline alone does not prove fraud.
You can say:
"Thank you for the offer. I'd like 48 hours to review the details before giving you my final answer."
If they can't clearly explain what you'll do, the role may not be well-defined or they may plan to overload you.
You can say:
"Could you share a written job description so I can better understand the day-to-day responsibilities?"
"Based on my research, the market rate for this role in [city] is between [X] and [Y]. Given my experience with [specific skill], I'd expect to be in the [mid/upper] range."
Tip: Always research the market rate before the interview. Use Glassdoor, Levels.fyi, or local salary surveys.
"Thank you for the offer. I'm very excited about this role. Based on my research and the value I'd bring with [specific experience], I was hoping for something closer to [X]. Is there flexibility in the compensation?"
Tip: A counteroffer can be discussed, but we cannot predict the employer's response. If the offer meets your needs, or the employer has said the band is fixed, taking it is a fine decision.
"I understand. Could we discuss other parts of the package? For example, additional holiday days, flexible working, a signing bonus, or a salary review after 6 months?"
Tip: If base salary is fixed, negotiate benefits: remote work, holidays, training budget, start date, title.
"I'd prefer to focus on the value I'd bring to this role rather than my current compensation. What's the budget range for this position?"
Tip: Several US states and some other jurisdictions ban asking your salary history; many do not, and the UK has no general ban. Either way, redirecting to the budget for the role is a normal answer.
These sources explain particular jurisdictions, not worldwide rules. If your location is not listed, use your local employment authority.
Prepare a clear request, explain your evidence and practise responding to questions about pay.
Check your interview readiness for free
These pages describe what interviewers commonly look for. They cannot tell you what a specific interviewer decided, and nothing here guarantees an interview, an offer or a visa. Practising is preparation — it shows you what to fix next.