What Posters Are Required in the Workplace? Small Businesses MUST be Aware


What Posters Are Required in the Workplace?

Many businesses are required by law to display health and safety and employment law information posters on the premises. Failing to display up-to-date employment law and health and safety information puts businesses at risk of non-compliance.

What Posters Are Required in the Workplace?

Knowing which posters must be displayed at your business is critical. See the list below of posters you are required to display in the work areas at your small business.

OSHA Job Safety and Health: It’s the Law

What Posters Are Required in the Workplace?

The OSHA Job Safety and Health: It’s the Law poster informs workers of their rights under the Occupational Safety and Health Act. All employers that are covered by the OSH Act regardless of their industry or which state they are in, are required to display this poster in their workplace. The poster must be located in a conspicuous place where workers can see it.

The OSHA Job Safety and Health: It’s the Law poster can be ordered for free from the OSHA Publications web page.

Employee Rights Under the Fair Labor Standards Act

What Posters Are Required in the Workplace?

The Employee Rights Under the Fair Labor Standards Act poster provides descriptions of employee rights under the law. Every private, federal, state and local government employer subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act, 29 USC 211, 29 CFR 516.4, must post this workplace poster.

Information about how to order this poster can be found at the United States Depart of Labor (DOP).

Employee Rights and Responsibilities Under the Family and Medical Leave Act

What Posters Are Required in the Workplace?

The Employee Rights and Responsibilities Under the Family and Medical Leave Act poster informs employees of their leave entitlements. It is a legal requirement for public agencies, private sector employers with 50 or more employees in 20 or more work weeks, who are involved in commerce or in any industry affecting commerce, as well as public and private elementary and secondary schools, to display this poster.

Refusal to display the Employee Rights and Responsibilities Under the Family and Medical Leave Act poster may result in a $100 penalty imposed by the Department of Labor’s  Wage and Hour Division for each individual violation. This poster too can be ordered from the Department of Labor.

Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law

The law requires an employer to display information which describes federal laws that prohibit discrimination at work based on color, race, origin, religion, sex, age, disability, equal pay or genetic information. The post should be positioned in a conspicuous place in the workplace where all employees can see it.

The poster can be printed from the Equal Employment Opportunity website.

Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act

It is required by law that every farm labor contractor, agricultural employer and agricultural association which is subject to the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act and employs seasonal agricultural workers, or any migrants display the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act poster.

The poster explains the protections and rights for workers required under the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act. The poster must be displayed in a conspicuous location in the workplace. The poster can be printed from the Department of Labor website.

Employee Polygraph Protection Act

The Employee Polygraph Protection Act is a federal law in the U.S., which generally prevents employers from using lie detectors.

All workplaces which engage in commerce must display the Employee Polygraph Protection Act poster. It is a requirement by the Department of Labor that this poster be visible to job applicants as well as to current employees. The poster can be downloaded and printed from the Department of Labor website.

Your Rights Under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act

What Posters Are Required in the Workplace?

Under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, which protects service members’ reemployment rights when returning from time spent in the uniformed services, employers are required to display a Your Rights Under USERRA poster in the workplace. The poster informs members of uniformed services of their reemployment rights and health insurance protection. The poster can be downloaded from the Department of Labor website.

Employee Rights Under the Davis-Bacon Act

What Posters Are Required in the Workplace?

Under the Davis-Bacon and related Acts, contractors and subcontractors must pay locally prevailing wages to mechanics and laborers who are employed on certain federal and federally assisted construction projects.

Each employer subject to the act must display the Employee Rights Under the Davis-Bacon Act poster at the construction site where work is taking place. The poster must be placed in a visible position for all workers. The poster can be downloaded and printed off the Department of Labor website.

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Gabrielle Pickard-Whitehead Gabrielle Pickard-Whitehead is a staff writer for Small Business Trends and has been a member of the team for 7 years. She is based in the United Kingdom and since 2006, Gabrielle has been writing articles, blogs and news pieces for a diverse range of publications and sites. You can read "Gabrielle’s blog here.".