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The NLRB public website is scheduled to undergo routine maintenance from Friday, September 19, 2025, at 11:00 PM ET (8:00 PM PT) until Monday, September 22, 2025, at 6:00 AM ET. From Friday night at 11:00 PM ET through Saturday morning at about 9:00 AM ET, E-Filing will not be available. From Saturday through Monday morning, the E-Filing applications (E-Filing, Online Charge and Petition, and My Account Portal) may be periodically unavailable. We apologize for any inconvenience.
After a Regional Director issues a complaint in an unfair labor practice case, an NLRB Administrative Law Judge hears
the case and issues a decision and recommended order, which can then be appealed to the Board in Washington. If no
exceptions are filed, the judge's order becomes the order of the Board. An administrative law judge's decision is not
binding legal precedent in other cases unless it has been adopted by the Board on review of exceptions; these judges
function much like trial court judges hearing a case without a jury. Such hearings are conducted at the locality where
the unfair labor practice allegedly occurred. On occasion, administrative law judges also issue decisions in
non-complaint, post-election representation cases that may be appealed to the Board.
