Working under a federal contract adds posting obligations beyond the mandatory federal, state and local notices every employer displays. The answers below cover who's affected, which postings apply and how to stay compliant.
Businesses are considered federal contractors under the law if they:
A federal contract is any agreement between a federal government agency or department and another entity for the purchase, sale, or use of goods or services. Many kinds of businesses hold them, including:
If you contract with the federal government, you’re responsible for displaying additional postings beyond the usual labor law notices. Your obligations depend on the types of contracts you hold, the agencies you work with and, in some cases, the dollar value of the contract.
Examples of required postings for federal contractors include:
These postings come from several government agencies, and any of them can issue updates at any time, which means covered businesses must replace outdated posters.
Federal subcontractors must meet the same posting requirements as federal contractors. If your company works under a federal contract held by another business, you are likely a federal subcontractor.
Many employers with government contracts don't realize these extra posting rules apply, and the penalties can be tougher than those for standard federal or state posters.
Fall short on the applicable requirements and you could face steep fines or lose the contract or funding altogether. A contract can be suspended or cancelled over posting violations alone.
Federal contractor posters also change more often than other federal and state postings, whether through brand-new notices or mandatory updates to existing ones.
Some businesses assume one set at the corporate headquarters is enough. In fact, notices must be posted at every location where employees work on a federal contract.
Hang posters where employees can easily read them. Common spots include breakrooms, hallways and areas near time clocks. Larger buildings often need more than one set, so every worker has access.
Because these postings come from multiple agencies, no single government source lists them all in one place. That makes gaps easy to miss and hard to catch on your own.
