Despite the digital age we live in, the old-fashioned printed poster still has a place in the office. The government still requires certain information to be posted in offices, and businesses that fail to post them may be subject to penalties.
The United States Department of Labor has published Poster Page: Workplace Poster Requirements for Small Businesses and Other Employers. This resource includes a wide variety of posters, but every business doesn't necessarily need to post every one. Some businesses are exempt from certain regulations. And some notices only apply to businesses in certain areas (like New York City, for example) or certain industries (like hospitality or non-profits, for example).
One of the most common posters is Job Safety and Health Protection, a requirement for "private employers engaged in a business affecting commerce." According to the DOL, this poster "informs workers of their rights under the Occupational Safety and Health Act. All covered employers are required to display the poster in their workplace."
There are penalties for failure to display mandated posters where employees can easily see it. These can be issued following a surprise visit from a government agency like OSHA or the DOL.
Also, labor law attorneys know that poster compliance is important. So, if an employee gets hurt at work and consults an attorney, that attorney is likely to check to see if your posters are up-to-date. If not, they're usually able to make a case for a much larger settlement.
Most employers also need to display a poster explaining the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The poster explains the federal minimum wage, child labor regulations and special rules for employees who receive extensive gratuities, such as waitstaff. In fact, it's the FLSA that establishes poster requirements to begin with.
Companies would be smart to check the DOL site to see whether their situation requires a special poster. For example, the Davis-Bacon Act requires a "Notice To All Employees Working On Federal Or Federally Financed Construction Projects." That's just one example of many.
In addition, we've created a New York State Labor Law Poster Compliance Kit. It's a nifty tool that shows all the different notices mandated by New York State. You can scan it in a minute or two and - if you see any notices that your business meets the criteria for - you can quickly download and print the notice. Then you can tack it up next to your labor law poster and - voila - you'll be compliant!
Click the image button below to check out our New York State Labor Law Poster Compliance Kit.