What Labor Posters Are You Required to Display in the Break Room?

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By Audacy

State and federal laws require employers to display summaries of state and federal labor and employment laws so they are visible to employers. The employee break room or cafeteria is a popular place to hang these posts, which should cover topics such as job safety and health, minimum wage, anti-discrimination laws, and more. You can easily find out what information needs to be displayed and download free labor posters via state and federal government agencies listed below.
 

Federal labor posters

First, some federal labor poster requirements may not apply to all companies. For example, small businesses with less than 50 employees do not have to post information on the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which applies to companies with 50 employees or more. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) offers an informative online guide to federal labor poster requirements to help you determine which posters your business must display, as well as free poster downloads. The elaws FirstStep Poster Advisor can also help identify which posters you need to display by answering a series of questions, beginning with the nature of your business, the maximum number of employees you will employ during a calendar year, etc. All applicable, required labor posters can be downloaded for free directly from the advisor. An example of an OSHA Job Safety and Health poster in a printable PDF version can be downloaded directly.
 

State labor posters

State labor laws often expand coverage to smaller businesses depending on the number of employees, and may offer additional protection. Poster requirements may include summaries of workers’ compensation laws, sick leave, discrimination laws and unemployment insurance. Information on state poster requirements can be found by visiting the state Departments of Labor. A list of State Labor Offices will give links to each state’s labor website. For example, Michigan’s labor poster requirements are listed on the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency site. Here is an example of a Michigan Safety and Health Protection poster in a PDF version.
 

Noncompliance penalties  

Remember, displaying the appropriate federal and state labor posters in the workplace is required by law. Failure to comply can result in stiff penalties on both government levels. For federal laws, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is in charge of enforcing labor poster requirements and administering punishment to non-compliant employers. Furthermore, both state and federal agencies may charge fines for failing to display required posters in a highly visible area, where all employees can easily read them.

 

This article was written by Lori Melton for Small Business Pulse