What labor law posters are required postings in a workplace?
State and federal laws impose numerous requirements and prohibitions on American businesses, but one of the most overlooked obligations for employers is the responsibility to conspicuously post various government labor law notices in the workplace. The purpose of these labor law posters is to inform employees of their rights under applicable laws and provide information on how to report discrimination, wage and hour violations and other rights infringements to the government.
While many employers do not readily embrace the idea of conspicuously posting information that tells their employees how to bring legal action against them, the obligation to display these notices is explicit in various labor laws and government regulations. The federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), for example, includes a provision requiring all covered employers to display the federal minimum wage poster in an area frequented by employees. OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) regulations specifically require employers to post a federal safety and health poster or a state equivalent. Failure to comply with government labor law posting requirements could lead to citations and fines during an inspection. Fines vary by poster and by enforcing agency, ranging from as low as $110 up to a potential maximum of $10,000. In total, businesses that don’t post these required notices or post outdated information could face combined fines up to $17,000 per location.
The list of posters your company may be required to display could be lengthy depending on what state you conduct business in and how many employees you have. Unfortunately, researching exactly what to post and where to obtain them can be a frustrating, time-consuming process. While the Internet is a great tool for conducting this research, be leery of what you find even on government sites, as many agencies clearly explain what they specifically require to be posted but fail to mention that other notices from other agencies are also required.
One sure way to find out exactly what needs to be displayed is to contact one of the many private companies such as Personnel Concepts that specialize in labor law compliance. Most of these firms have done the research for you and have compiled all required notices into an all-on-one reproduction, which is sufficient to ensure compliance. While these companies charge $30 or more for these posters, many businesses are willing to pay to avoid the time-consuming research needed to obtain the notices themselves.
Employers are required to post in a common area, posters with information pertaining to minimum wage, sexual harassment, child labor, workers compensation, reinstatement liability, parental leave, safety and health protection on the job, healthcare whistleblower protection, unemployment insurance, and workplace smoking. These posters can be found at under forms and publications, Wage and Hour forms. Q: What is minimum wage? A: Minimum wage will change yearly based upon legislation enacted in 2005. To review current and future minimum wage rates click here minimum wage Q: I have been fired or laid off, when is my pay due? A: An employee who has been discharged from employment shall be paid within 72 hours of the discharge. An employee who voluntarily leaves employment shall be paid on the last regular payday, or if there is no regular payday, on the following Friday. Q: Does my employer have to pay the Vermont minimum wage or the Federal minimum wage? A: All employers doing business in
