The article considers the issues related to the realization of the right to self-defense of constitutional social rights. A special place of social rights in the system of the constitutional rights determines the specifics of their protection and self-defense. Self-protection features of social rights are considered in the article, taking into account the specifics of legal relationships, the conditions of their implementation and protection. A special place is given to the consideration of self-protection of labor rights in the case of violation by the employer. The author critically evaluates the thesis about the impossibility and ineffectiveness of the use of self-defense in case of violation of rights for social security and social defense. Suggestions have been made about the "positive" understanding of self-defense of social rights. The author gives some examples of standard fastening methods of self-defense in the legislation of the Republic of Moldova. Based on the analysis the author makes a number of conclusions about the peculiarities of the application features self-defense in the social legal relations, as well as the changes and amendments of the current legislation are offered.