We get a lot of questions about workplace posters from employers and this can often be a somewhat confusing area. What posters you must display can be driven by the number of employees you have, the industry in which you operate, whether or not you have federal contracts, and a multitude of other factors. The Department of Labor has created a great tool for determining what federal posters you must display. You can access the tool here: http://webapps.dol.gov/elaws/posters.htm. The tool is a step-by-step question process that is extremely easy to use. At the end, the tool provides valuable information about the poster size requirements and where the posters should be displayed.
Generally, most employers are required to display posters about the Employee Polygraph Protection Act, Equal Employment Opportunity, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, and Whistleblower protections. Of course, depending on the employers size and other factors, other posters may have to be displayed. One such example is the Family and Medical Leave Act poster that must be posted if an employer is covered by the FMLA.
In addition to whether or not a poster must be posted and the size requirements of any such posters, there are also requirements about where posters must be posted. They generally must be posted prominently or conspicuously where employees can see them. There are, however, some posters that must be displayed where applicants also can see them (i.e. the FMLA, EEO and Employee Polygraph Protection Act posters).
Employers in Texas should also remember that they must have posters regarding the Texas Payday Act, Texas Unemployment Compensation, and Workers’ Compensation. If you as an employer operate in other states, you should check that states’ poster requirements as well.
