Your supervisor stops by and says, "Can you come to my office for a minute?" Your stomach drops a little. You don't know exactly what it's about, but you can tell from the tone it's not good news.

If you're in a union, this is exactly the moment Weingarten rights exist for. Most workers have never heard of them until they need them — which is exactly why it's worth knowing this before you're standing in that doorway.

Management cannot force you to speak with them if you do not feel comfortable doing without a steward. They need to give you a reasonable amount of time to find one.

Here are some tips:

• Ask early, ask clearly. The moment you sense a meeting might be investigatory, invoke your right — don't wait until you're already several questions in.

• You can ask what the meeting is about before it starts. You're allowed to know the general subject so you can decide whether to invoke Weingarten.

• Silence isn't automatically covered. If you don't ask for a representative, the protection doesn't kick in — even if you clearly should have known you needed one.

• Take your own notes if you can, right after the meeting, while it's fresh. Details matter later if the discipline is grieved.

• Know your steward before you need one. Waiting until you're standing outside your supervisor's office to figure out who your rep even is puts you at a disadvantage.