You and your fellow workers have finally had enough, and you’ve taken to the picket line to send a message to your employer that you will not fall in line. A labor dispute can be a tenuous time for employees seeking to have their demands met in the workplace. However, these disputes can weigh on you and your family with a lack of a paycheck, insurance, and overall stress of the situation. Thankfully, there are resources striking workers can turn to for assistance during these times.

Overall Health & Well-Being

There is a lot of emotion that comes with going on strike, as you may have to make a difficult decision regarding your livelihood. Mental health issues can range from just struggling with stress to dealing with failures of expression of love when you’re caught up in what’s going on in your labor dispute. WithTherapy.com seeks to provide people with their own unique mental health treatments, providing a safe space to address any concerns that are exhausting them at any age.

There are different types of therapy, from art therapy to work through the emotions with a form of expression to family therapy to help you and your loved ones get the counseling you need under these circumstances. With affordable options, you will be able to maintain a level of support. Dealing with mental health issues like stress and depression can actually have an impact on physical health. Job loss, even temporary, can weigh heavy on the mind of everyone in a household, taking an emotional, physical, and financial toll.

Legal Assistance

Workers on strike need representation on their side with years of experience in labor law to provide legal advice and handle any issues that may arise. Getting that assistance starts with something as simple as typing “lawyers in Springfield, MA” into a search engine to help you with legal issues. You could even find an attorney to help lay out exactly what you and your fellow striking employees are looking to get from your company to be able to get back to work and get what you deserve in terms of pay, work hours, and benefits.

Depending on the practice area, you may be in need of a mediator to help determine a possible truce between both sides, putting in place some guarantees for the long run and some immediate changes to work protocols or salary. This can help striking workers make an informed decision on the next best steps to end a work stoppage while also avoiding any other legal problems that a business may try to turn against employees for walking off the job.

Financial Aid

A labor dispute will render a striking worker without a paycheck, so it’s important to assess your family’s financial situation, checking all credit profiles to determine what’s in your best interest fiscally. Upon striking, you should still be in touch with your union. Some unions will provide employees with a stipend to take care of their basic needs while a stoppage continues. Other forms of organized labor will set aside an emergency fund to help those really struggling to get by.

If you’re a renter, you may want to get in touch with your landlord to explain your current situation. You should also contact creditors to ask about freezes on accounts. It’s important to make sure that your credit history is in order, as this could impact your ability to get a loan to temporarily hold you and your family over if need be. As always, be sure to read any terms and conditions to make sure that you are not held hostage by a high-interest rate.

Use these tips and resources to work through your labor dispute.