Labor law posters are crucial for basically everyone operating a business with employees. They ensure that all employees understand their rights and obligations, and they also serve to both protect employers from claims that employees were not aware of their rights as well as ensuring employers know their obligations.
However, while you likely know that labor law posters are required, determining the exact number needed can be confusing.
Today, we’re going to answer how many labor law posters you need and provide you with the various factors and bits of information you need to consider in various circumstances.
Let’s get started.
The Bare Minimum Requirement for Labor Law Posters
At the very least, you must have one labor law poster in your place of business. Not only that, but the placement of your labor law posters must also be compliant. We’ll talk more about compliance, later.
There are only two general exceptions to this rule.
First, if you don’t have any employees, you don’t need to post labor law posters. If you’re the sole owner and operator of the business, doing everything yourself, there’s no reason to worry about it.
The other exception is if you have a workforce solely composed of contractors. They’re not on your payroll, they’re not your employees in a legal sense, and you’re simply outsourcing your labor needs to another business. It’s the business legally employing them that has to post labor laws for them. Not you.
Is 1 Labor Law Poster Enough?
One labor law poster is not enough in many circumstances, and to understand how many labor law posters you need, you have to look at the compliance requirements and the entire purpose of labor law posters in the first place.
First, all employees should be able to see the poster without having to jump through a bunch of hoops. It has to be somewhere all employees are going to realistically see it, and it can’t be obstructed.
Then, the entire point is to ensure that ALL employees know their rights.
So, let’s assume you have a very large business, and employees typically only stay in one section of the building for their jobs.
They clock out at different areas, take breaks in different areas, etc. If you were to only place one labor law poster in a single breakroom or similar place, every employee who uses other facilities while doing their job cannot be expected to ever see that poster or have reasonable access to it.
The same can be said if there are multiple floors to your business. If you have your poster in your first-floor break room, and employees on other floors are rarely around that area, there’s no realistic opportunity for them to see the poster and understand their rights.
In both of those situations, multiple posters would be essential to ensure that you’re informing every employee.
Where Should Labor Law Posters be Placed?
Labor law posters are governed by a list of compliance regulations. For the most part, these regulations cover the content of posters. In short, they have to be up to date within a reasonable period after new laws are passed. However, the positioning of your posters is also regulated.
You need to have the posters in locations that ensure every employee will see them; they must be large enough to be reasonably noticeable and must not be obscured. Understanding how many labor law posters you need is crucial for compliance and visibility.
This leads us to recommend a few key positions where you can post your posters.
The clock-in area is always a good choice. Especially if you have one clock-in area that all employees use every single day. As long as the poster is easily visible and large enough to be compliant, that’s the easiest way to make sure everyone sees your posters.
Another great option is the break room. Sometimes, this even correlates with clock-in locations. So, that’s even better. In some ways, a break room poster might be optimal even if you have posters elsewhere.
This ensures that employees not only see it but also have time to properly access it and understand their rights. Not just glance at it as they clock in.
This general rule of thumb for placement should be done in every location where employees spend most of their time.
If you have a two-floor building, having a sign posted in an appropriate spot on each floor should be a goal.
If you have multiple buildings or separated production floors, such as in a manufacturing environment, having labor signs posted in each area according to those placement tips is optimal.
Why Should You Use Multiple Signs?
Unless you have a small business space where one posting is more than enough, there are some very good reasons to post in multiple locations even if one might technically be enough legally.
One of the primary benefits of posting your labor law signs as an employer is to avoid liability. If something happens, and an employee points out that you didn’t have a labor sign in a practical location, you can be held liable for things you shouldn’t because it can be claimed that you didn’t properly inform employees of their federal and state rights.
In a sense, it protects you from various claims, improper reporting methods, etc.
There are also massive fines for not being compliant. In fact, for federal labor law postings, the fines for not being compliant can exceed $35,000 and include several other serious penalties. By having multiple signs, you can ensure that you’re compliant, and you don’t have to worry about that. Of course, as long as each sign is up to date, as well.
What to Look for in Labor Law Posters for Your Business
If you’re looking for updated labor law posters, there are a few things to consider.
First, you want the posters to be cost-efficient since they’ll be changed regularly, but you’ll also want to ensure that they’re durable to prevent them from being torn and non-compliant before they get replaced. A great option is a laminated poster.
Next, you’ll want to determine how many labor law posters you need. Federal and state posters are required for most businesses, but there are many industry-specific posters that you might need as well.
Reach out to Labor Law OSHA Posters, and we can help you determine exactly what you need, how many you need for your business layout, and the best type of poster for you.