Employers are required by their state and federal agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Labor, to comply with regulations that ensure a fair workplace environment. Among those laws is the requirement to have physical posters with state and federal labor laws clearly displayed in an area where their employees frequently work in or occupy. There are a few questions that may come up for employers so below you’ll find a clear breakdown of what is expected and what you can do to easily fulfill this requirement!
Do I pay for these posters and how do I make sure they’re up to date?
You can receive labor law posters for free from both Federal and state Labor agencies. There are several online resources such as the US Department of Labor provided Poster Advisor to ensure you know and obtain the correct posters for your specific business. Keep in mind there are federal requirements as well as state specific requirements. There are some posters available for sale online that combine your specific state and the federal posters into one poster for display.
Can I distribute this information in a another way such as email or flyers?
The regulations require the constant physical display of labor laws in a frequented area to ensure maximum accessibility. Disbursing the information via the internet assumes that everyone is has the technological access and disbursing it physically does not account for the information being misplaced, lost or simply never reached them, if for example, they are sick or missed the meeting that day.
Are there any special forms of business’ that are exempt or differ under these regulations?
Federal contractors do have labor law postings specific to them that need to be displayed. Employers who have online or remote employees still need to provide easy access to labor law information for their employees though the specific form of doing so is not yet mandated. Best practice says to make it readily available via online or the employee business email or site account for their viewing.
Can I choose where these posters are displayed?
Yes and no - they do need to be highly visible, on the work campus at all times and in an area that employees frequent so their workplace or break room / kitchen. The lobby or where employees enter and exit is also ideal. Any areas that are tucked away or not accessible to all employees fail to satisfy the regulations and multiple posters may be needed dependent on the area being covered.