Whether you have two employees, 200 or 200,000, one federal requirement is perfectly clear: You must — absolutely must — display labor law posters in the workplace. Failure to comply could lead to costly fines, which could severely impact the ongoing viability of smaller businesses.
In addition to understanding federal posting requirements, business owners need to be aware of state and local labor law postings, as well as industry-specific postings. The devil is definitely in the details when it comes to following the rules.
Once you understand what posters you need to display, a common question arises—especially for larger businesses, companies with multiple locations or those with buildings where departments rarely interact: Where do I display posters to assure compliance with federal guidelines?
Make Sure to Cover All the Bases
It’s not a simple answer. The general rule is posters must be displayed prominently and in highly trafficked areas at your business. The goal is to select an area that is accessible to as many employees as possible. In the event you do not have a prime location where all employees will see the postings on a regular basis, you’ll need multiple sets of posters.
For example, if you own a facility with multiple entrances, there is a chance employees have a preferred door they use on a daily basis. You shouldn’t assume—just because a majority of your employees use a certain entrance — that you’re compliant if you display posters only at that doorway. It’s best to display postings in communal areas such as break rooms or areas where all employees gather for company meetings.
In a small office, you can typically satisfy this requirement by posting in one location, such as a common hallway, next to a time clock or in a highly visible area within the workspace. Larger companies, however, may need more than one posting site to provide access to all employees.
For workspaces without walls — such as kiosks or mobile workstations — a binder containing all required postings is legally compliant. However, this is only an option for work environments without walls.
But Wait, There’s More!
Federal regulations extend posting requirements for job applicants, too. Four of the six mandatory federal postings must be displayed in areas where employees and applicants can view them.
If you have applicants visiting your facility for any reason — to submit an application or participate in an interview — you must display the necessary posters prominently for their benefit, just as with employee-facing posters. And it goes even further! If you accept job applications on-line, you must provide a link to the current postings that are on display in your building.
So how many posting stations does this entail? Unfortunately, there is no magic number or formula provided by the regulations or the agencies. Again, it really depends on the layout of your facility or office space. And if you’re not 100 percent sure, you should always err on the side of caution.
Don’t Overlook Telecommuters
As more and more businesses offer remote employment opportunities, you need to provide offsite workers with access to postings. By law, employers are required to provide all employees with mandatory postings. Electronic delivery is a compliant way to provide the postings to offsite workers who log onto computers for work.
To clarify, employers must still post physical posters for on-site employees reporting to traditional workplace facilities. However, for remote workers, electronic postings are acceptable.
Compliance Poster Service Offers One-Stop Shopping
Whether you need one set of posters or a dozen, Poster Guard® Compliance Protection provides every required federal, state and local labor law posting — no matter how many employment law changes occur in a year. Plus, whenever a mandatory change occurs, you automatically receive a replacement poster at no additional charge.
This all-inclusive compliance poster service is backed by an expert legal team that monitors thousands of agencies and regulations year-round. Most importantly, it ensures your business is 100% compliant with the latest labor law regulations.
Labor law postings must be displayed where employees routinely gather and can easily access the notices. Therefore, large businesses may need more than one set. For example, these employers may need to post in the applicant area, breakrooms and warehouse.
