Employment Law Practice Exam 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

Protected concerted activities involve actions undertaken by employees to improve their working conditions or address workplace issues collectively. The first characteristic, which indicates that these activities are engaged in with or on the authority of other employees, captures a fundamental aspect of collective action. This means that individual employees must act in concert, or together, to address issues that affect their employment.

When employees band together, whether through informal discussions or organized efforts, they demonstrate a collective interest in advocating for their rights or improving working conditions, which is essential for such activities to be considered protected under employment laws. This collaborative approach is what distinguishes protected concerted activities from individual employee grievances which may not enjoy the same level of protection.

The other characteristics mentioned, such as needing to relate to wages or working conditions, or not being extreme or abusive, and the applicability to unionized versus non-unionized workers, add nuance to the overall understanding of what concerted activities entail. However, the defining feature lies in the collective engagement of employees, making the first characteristic the most fundamentally defining aspect of protected concerted activities.