It is required by law that every employer in the United States of America who has one or more workers display the most up-to-date State and Federal Labor Law Posters which are clearly visible to every employee. Seeing as these posters indicate the most important information that employees need in relation to their own rights and obligations, employees must have easy access to read them.
There are labor law posters which must be posted by everyone, but there are also industry-specific ones. One place to post them is in a break room or another space that all employees have access to.
What are Labor Law posters?
There are Federal and State labor law posters which have the purpose of boosting workplace productivity which also lets all employees know that they have rights, but also requirements, and that laws must be obeyed by all. The reason for the poster is so that every employee knows which laws apply to them.
When it comes to this, it’s necessary to know that there is a distinction between State Labor Law posters and Federal Labor Law posters. Federal Labor Law posters consist of information relating to OSHA, USERRA, the employee polygraph protection act, and the Federal minimum wage. However, State Labor Law posters consist of rules that are relevant in specific states.
What happens if you don’t post Labor Law posters?
It is absolutely obligatory to show the applicable Federal and State Labor laws as they are meant to make your employees aware of their rights and responsibilities in addition to how they have the ability to counter any infringements of their rights.
Should employers not abide by the Federal and State labor law posting obligations, then they are liable for citations and fines when the business is inspected. Depending on the poster and the enforcing agency, the fines differ and range from $110 to a staggering $35,000.
This can be avoided very easily by posting the relevant posters so that employers can spend their time on the most important parts of their business endeavors.
Do this to stay obedient to the law:
Depending on your business type, industry, the state where you’re situated, and how many employees you have, you may need different posters to be displayed. Finding out which ones you need tend to be time-consuming and an annoying aspect of the business. In this case, many turn to the internet for aid, but this isn’t always the best idea as they might not give you a comprehensive enough answer. Even though individual agencies tell you which posters you need, and government agencies do the same, you may need posters which come from agencies.
It’s generally a good idea to get in touch with companies who practice labor law compliance so that you are assured that you display all of the necessary posters and don’t end up with hefty fines. These businesses have experience in the field and have undergone the necessary research so that you never have to.
This is how to protect your posters from defacement, alterations, or theft
It’s not enough to simply put the posters up without making sure that they’ll stay there. Should inspections occur and they aren’t where they need to be, you’ll still face fines and citations. This is especially true when it comes to OSHA posting regulations and the Employee Rights Under the National Labor Relations Act poster, and these need to be protected so that they aren’t lost or altered.
You’ll be made aware that your poster requires safeguarding at the bottom of the poster seeing as it’s an official government notice. One option is to laminate the posters or show all of them in a glass case.
Final Take
In order to create a safe and legal workspace for all of your workers, abiding by the labor law posting rules is necessary. Even as many find them cumbersome, they are essential to avoiding fines, and even lawsuits.
If you’re looking for a great free resource for downloadable labor law posters, then TRUiC has compiled a list of the most necessary and updated notices so that you know that you, and your employees, remain clear on their rights in the workplace.