Free help with a work or wage dispute — by country
The official labour bodies below handle unpaid wages, end-of-service and unfair dismissal for free — most run a mandatory conciliation step before any court, and migrant workers can file without a lawyer.
In the Gulf, filing a labour complaint is generally free and many jurisdictions exempt low-value worker claims from court fees. Watch the deadline: some systems (e.g. Oman) apply a one-year limitation from the end of employment, and conciliation is a required first step before the labour court will hear you.
| Country | Official body | Call | Online |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | DOL — Wage and Hour DivisionRecovers unpaid minimum wage and overtime under federal law; workplace safety is OSHA and union rights are the NLRB. Every state also has its own labor department.Legal basis: Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) | 1-866-487-9243 | www.dol.gov/agencies/whd |
| United Arab Emirates | MOHREFiles and mediates labour complaints (unpaid wages, end-of-service, arbitrary dismissal) and issues binding decisions on disputes up to AED 50,000 under FDL 33/2021. Workers in claims below AED 100,000 are court-fee-exempt.Legal basis: UAE Labour Law (Federal Decree-Law 33/2021) | 80084 | www.mohre.gov.ae/en |
| Saudi Arabia | MHRSDLabour ministry: wage complaints, contract disputes, and free Friendly Settlement (Wudi) — the mandatory step before the labour courts. Hotline 19911 supports six languages.Legal basis: Saudi Labour Law (Royal Decree M/51) | 19911 | www.mhrsd.gov.sa/en |
| Qatar | Ministry of Labour (ADLSA)Wage Protection System and the Labour Dispute Settlement Committees, which must rule within three weeks under Law 13/2017. The Workers' Support & Insurance Fund covers awards if the employer cannot pay.Legal basis: Qatar Labour Law (Law 14/2004) and Law 13/2017 (dispute committees) | 16008 | adlsa.gov.qa |
| Bahrain | Ministry of LabourIndividual labour disputes and the mandatory pre-court settlement step under Labour Law 36/2012 — unpaid wages, end-of-service, and unfair dismissal.Legal basis: Bahrain Labour Law for the Private Sector (Law 36/2012) | — | www.mlsd.gov.bh |
| Kuwait | PAMPrivate-sector labour disputes and mandatory pre-court conciliation — unpaid wages, end-of-service, transfers. Filing is digital through the Sahel app under the 2025 procedures.Legal basis: Kuwait Labour Law in the Private Sector (Law 6/2010) | — | www.pam.gov.kw |
| Oman | Ministry of LabourFree complaint portal and conciliation for wage, overtime, end-of-service and unfair-dismissal disputes. Worker labour suits are court-fee-exempt under Royal Decree 53/2023, so even if conciliation fails the courts are free.Legal basis: Oman Labour Law (Royal Decree 53/2023) | 80077000 | www.mol.gov.om |
| India | Ministry of Labour & EmploymentWage, overtime and dismissal complaints; every state also runs a Labour Commissioner office. The Code on Wages 2019 lets claims authorities award up to 10× compensation.Legal basis: Code on Wages 2019 and the Industrial Disputes Act 1947 | — | labour.gov.in |
| Pakistan | EOBIOld-age pension, invalidity and survivor benefits for registered private-sector workers — check registration and claim benefits.Legal basis: Employees' Old-Age Benefits Act 1976 | — | www.eobi.gov.pk |
| Bangladesh | BMETClearance for overseas jobs, complaints against recruitment agents, and pre-departure training. The Wage Earners' Welfare Board provides crisis support and repatriation for migrant workers.Legal basis: Overseas Employment and Migrants Act 2013 | — | www.bmet.gov.bd |
| Indonesia | KemnakerWage, dismissal and dispute mediation, minimum-wage rules, and the JKP unemployment benefit. Disputes unresolved by mediation go to the Industrial Relations Court.Legal basis: Manpower Law (Law 13/2003), as amended by the Job Creation Law | — | kemnaker.go.id |
| United Kingdom | ACASFree early conciliation for employment disputes — the mandatory step before an employment tribunal, and where most disputes settle. Tribunal fees were abolished in 2017.Legal basis: Employment Rights Act 1996 | 0300 123 1100 | www.acas.org.uk |
| Ireland | Workplace Relations Commission (WRC)Single front door for every employment complaint — unfair dismissal, wages, equality, working time. Free filing, free hearings, binding decisions.Legal basis: Workplace Relations Act 2015 | 0818 80 80 90 | www.workplacerelations.ie |
| France | Conseil de prud'hommesFree employment tribunal for wage, dismissal, harassment and discrimination disputes — workers represent themselves, no lawyer required. The Inspection du travail enforces labour-law breaches.Legal basis: Code du travail | — | www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/N358 |
| Germany | ArbeitsgerichtLabour courts hear dismissal, wage and contract disputes; filing is low-cost and unions or works councils represent members for free.Legal basis: Kündigungsschutzgesetz and the Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch (BGB) | — | www.bundesarbeitsgericht.de |
| Singapore | MOM — TADMFree, mandatory mediation for every salary-related dispute — around 90% resolve here before the Employment Claims Tribunal. MOM handles work-pass and workplace-safety issues.Legal basis: Employment Act and the Employment Claims Act 2016 | 6838 0969 | www.tal.sg/tadm |
| Denmark | Trade union / ArbejdsrettenWith ~60% union density, most employment disputes are handled free by your union, up to representation at the Labour Court (Arbejdsretten). The Working Environment Authority (Arbejdstilsynet) enforces safety.Legal basis: Danish collective-bargaining model and the Salaried Employees Act (Funktionærloven) | — | www.arbejdsretten.dk |
| Iceland | Trade union / ASÍWith ~90% union density, your union gives free help on wages, contracts and rights. The Directorate of Labour (Vinnumálastofnun) handles benefits and the Administration of Occupational Safety (Vinnueftirlitið) handles safety.Legal basis: Act on Working Terms and Pension Rights (Lög nr. 55/1980) | — | www.asi.is |
| Canada | Employment Standards / ESDC Labour ProgramUnpaid wages, termination and workplace rights. Federally-regulated workers use the federal Labour Program; everyone else uses their province's Employment Standards office.Legal basis: Canada Labour Code (federal) and provincial Employment Standards Acts | — | www.canada.ca/en/services/jobs/workplace.html |
| Australia | Fair Work OmbudsmanFree advice, investigation and enforcement for every employment complaint — unpaid wages, entitlements, sham contracting. Unfair dismissal goes to the Fair Work Commission.Legal basis: Fair Work Act 2009 | 13 13 94 | www.fairwork.gov.au |
| New Zealand | Employment New ZealandAdvice and free mediation for employment problems — unpaid wages, holidays, unjustified dismissal. Unresolved cases go to the Employment Relations Authority.Legal basis: Employment Relations Act 2000 | 0800 20 90 20 | www.employment.govt.nz |
| Mexico | Centro Federal de Conciliación (CFCRL)Mandatory free conciliation for labour disputes before the labour courts; PROFEDET (the federal worker's attorney) provides free representation and advice.Legal basis: Ley Federal del Trabajo (2019 labour-justice reform) | — | centrolaboral.gob.mx |
Each entry links to the official body and shows the date we last verified it. This is legal information, not advice, and we don't take payment to list anyone. See the full country directories for every channel, not just the headline one.