What do HR Managers Need to Know About Labor Law Posting?

Certain workplace posters are required in a business to inform employees about federal and state laws that govern the workplace. The Department of Labor’s posters informs employees of their rights. Not every poster is required in every business. Non-profits have different posters needed compared to other businesses like those that hire telecommuters. The Small Business Administration has information for small businesses who might be confused about Labor Law Posting requirements for posters hung in the break room at the office.

Size of Posters at Remote Sites

If you have some employees who never make it into the central office, you’ll still need to ensure they are able to see the posters. Whether it’s a construction site or a remote facility, all posters have to be displayed so they’re visible to workers. You can’t shrink posters to fit in a small area of a remote site either. Many posters have to be a certain size with a readable font. This is a requirement and keeps you compliant with the law.

Posters for the Telecommuter

You’re not required to send posters to a single remote worker for your company, but if there’s a central location online for that worker, you’d be smart to place information there. A worker who routinely works from another location like a home office can see the posters when they walk into the central business offices. They should be made aware of the location of the posters. This also includes sales people who do a lot of traveling.

Electronic Posters Online Only

While you want to provide off-site workers with all the information required by law, you should never have the posters only in an electronic place. Statutes and regulations require the posters to be visible in a physical location, so that employees can see their rights.

Alternate Languages

There are times when the posters have to be included in more than one language. The Family Medical Leave Act poster must be placed in a central location for businesses that have more than 50 employees. This is one poster that is required in more than one language if there’s a significant amount of employees who don’t speak English. The language of the poster will depend on the main language of the employees. A few posters are required in Spanish and English in some states like the Arizona Workers’ Compensation Notice to Employees, the Connecticut Paid Sick Leave poster and the New Mexico Notice on Human Trafficking.

Binder with Posters

The posters must be placed in a conspicuous area where all employees can see them. One poster cannot be hung on top of another, so that means they can’t be placed on top of each other in a binder. While it might seem more convenient and enable all the employees to see it, the way the posters are blocking the next means they’re not properly displayed. Some posters have to be a certain size too. The OSHA poster has to be at least 8 ½ x 14 inches.