How to Avoid the Most Common Labor Law Poster Compliance Mistakes?

ByLily James

Many times, business owners think posting labor law posters is easy, but in reality, many business owners will make mistakes that could be avoided and will cause their companies to be at risk. For example, you might have the incorrect poster, you may be displaying them in an incorrect location, or you may not be updating your posters when there are legal changes. All of these mistakes are not small mistakes; they are compliance issues that can result in fines and penalties. Below are some of the most common mistakes which should be avoided.

Displaying the Wrong Posters

One of the most common mistakes made by employers is to assume that providing all of the available labor law posters means their employees will be safe as long as those posters are displayed. However, simply displaying more labor law posters does not mean that more safety is provided to employees. Not all employees of every employer will benefit from every type of labor law poster.

In addition to not all types of labor law posters being applicable to every employer, there are also many employers that display labor law posters that are not required by law because they don’t have any federal contracts. This creates confusion among employees about what their rights actually are and how these rights may be affected depending on the business in which they work.

Employers can determine which federal labor law posters are required to be displayed at their place of business through the U.S. Department of Labor “Poster Advisor” tool. Employers should also contact their state labor office and/or local government agency to find out what specific state and local labor law posters they are required to display. 

The most important thing is to know what federal law requires you to post in your workplace and what the laws are in your local and state jurisdictions. By following these guidelines, you will ensure that your workplace is free from confusion, that your employees have the correct information they need, and that your business is compliant with all relevant labor laws.

Posting Outdated Posters

Labor laws change. When they do, the posters change too. Yet many businesses print out a poster, hang it up, and forget about it for years.

If you’re displaying a poster with outdated wage amounts, old contact information, or expired legal language, you’re not actually complying with the law. 

The best way to handle this is to set up a system that alerts you when poster updates happen. Many reputable poster companies offer subscription services that automatically send you replacement posters whenever there’s a mandatory change. Some provide QR codes you can scan to check if your posters are current. Others send email notifications each time something changes.

Posting the Wrong-Sized Poster

Posters vary in size based on the size requirements that federal agencies have established for each poster type. If your poster is too small, employees may not be able to read your poster. If the size of your poster product does not meet the required size, you will not be meeting the requirements of the law.

Prior to ordering posters or printing them, it is important to verify the size requirements for each poster. A reputable poster company will have the measurements of the posters taken care of when you place your order. If you plan to print out posters yourself, confirm the measurements ahead of time.

Hanging Posters in the Wrong Location

Here’s something a lot of businesses get wrong: posters need to be in places where employees can actually see them and read them easily.

Posting a poster in a location that’s hard to access doesn’t count as compliance. You need to display labor law posters in conspicuous, accessible areas where employees naturally gather.

Good locations include:

  • Break rooms
  • Cafeterias
  • Hallways near entrances
  • Common work areas
  • Spaces near restrooms

What doesn’t work:

  • Inside restrooms
  • Closed-off stairwells
  • Single floors in multi-story buildings
  • Behind locked doors

If your employees can’t easily see and read the poster while going about their day, it’s not properly posted.

Not Updating Posters for Remote Employees

More than half of U.S. workers do their jobs remotely at least part of the time. If your business has remote employees, you still need to provide them with access to labor law posters.

For completely remote workers, digital labor law posters are permitted, provided that the employee has ongoing use of electronic communication and access to electronic files. Furthermore, it is important that you have a method of effectively delivering the digital labor law posters and that you continuously update those posters as the labor laws and regulations change over time.

Unfortunately, many businesses create unnecessary hassle by providing PDF copies of the posters via email or by storing them on a shared server for employees to access. Instead of doing this, consider using a cloud-based service to store your labor law posters, which will enable you to easily update the posters to reflect changes in laws and regulations as they occur.

Conclusion

Labor law poster compliance is something that can be made simple. Many errors result from a lack of knowledge about what is required, or failure to update, along with the proper tools, automated systems, and placing your posters correctly, will help you remain compliant, and will let your workers know how much you value their rights. The cost to ensure compliance far outweighs the potential cost of non-compliance. Therefore, it should be prioritized now so you can operate your business knowing you’re in full compliance with all labor laws.