New Providence, NJ (Oct. 2, 2014) — When many of us envision a poster, we think of art, athletes or rock stars. But if you are a company operating within the United States, “posters” are also mandatory state and federal notices about labor laws that must be displayed in the workplace. In a new report on State Labor Law Posters, XpertHR found that California had the highest number of state poster requirements (36), compared to Idaho and Delaware, which only require one.
California boasts 17 separate wage orders, alternative family leave posters and various municipalities with their own specific requirements, resulting in 36 available government-issued posters. The sheer number of labor laws to which California employers are subject outnumbers those of the great majority of other states. Other states with a high number of workplace posting requirements include New York (19), New Jersey (15), Hawaii (14), Pennsylvania (13) and Louisiana (13).
Complicating the sheer volume of notice postings are constantly changing requirements, determining posting locations and deciding whether to post notice requirements that are recommended but not mandatory. Unlike other compliance issues that may require an extensive, complex investigation by enforcement authorities, an employer’s failure to post a notice is a fairly straightforward source of potential sanctions.
“Failure to display state-required labor laws may result in a substantial penalty,” says Marta Moakley, JD, Legal Editor, XpertHR. “Fines can vary, ranging from as low as a few hundred up to thousands of dollars. Employers need to stay on top of changes made by federal, state, and OSHA agencies and update mandatory labor law posters to avoid being penalized.”
While some states offer convenient “all-in-one” options for posters, consolidated posters may only address a portion of an employer’s notice requirements. General information regarding wage and hour laws (e.g., minimum wage information, child labor regulations, rest breaks and equal pay protections) may appear on a consolidated poster but other protections (e.g., discrimination or safety regulations) are omitted.
With every coming year or legislative session, changes to notice posting requirements are common. According to reports, an average of 75 state labor law changes affect posting requirements every year. In addition, for states that adjust the minimum wage for inflation, annual updates to those posters dealing with wage and hour issues are virtually guaranteed.
Below is XpertHR’s list of all available state postings:
1. California 36*
2. New York 19
3. New Jersey 15*
4. Hawaii 14
5. Louisiana 13
6. Pennsylvania 13
7. Connecticut 12
8. District of Columbia 12
9. Maine 12
10. Maryland 12
11. Nevada 12
12. West Virginia 12
13. Wisconsin 12
14. Arizona 11
15. Illinois 11*
16. Oregon 11
17. Rhode Island 11
18. Michigan 10
19. South Carolina 10
20. Vermont 10
21. Colorado 9
22. New Hampshire 9
23. Alaska 8
24. Massachusetts 8
25. Montana 8
26. New Mexico 8
27. Ohio 8
28. Washington 8
29. Iowa 7
30. Tennessee 7
31. Wyoming 7
32. Alabama 6
33. Florida 6
34. Indiana 6
35. Kansas 6
36. Kentucky 6
37. Missouri 6
38. Oklahoma 6
39. Utah 6
40. Virginia 6
41. Arkansas 5
42. Minnesota 5
43. Texas 5
44. Georgia 4
45. Nebraska 4
46. North Carolina 4
47. North Dakota 4
48. Mississippi 2
49. South Dakota 2
50. Delaware 1*
51. Idaho 1
* Numbers followed by an asterisk designate states with additional pending posting requirements.
To receive a free copy of XpertHR’s report on State Labor Law Posters, click here.
About XpertHR
XpertHR’s online service provides HR professionals with practical compliance tools and comprehensive guidance on federal, state and municipal law, helping employers stay current with evolving and complex employment law issues. XpertHR content is published in association with sister company LexisNexis. XpertHR.com is a unique, easy-to-use solution organized around the day-to-day responsibilities of HR professionals. In addition to smart search features, you can browse through content by task, by topic, or by tool type to help you find just what you need in seconds. Our key features include the popular Employment Law Manual and Liveflo employment workflows.
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Editor’s Note:
Marta Moakley, JD, Legal Editor, XpertHR is available for interview.
Please include a link to the full report http://www.xperthr.com/pages/employers-guide-to-state-labor-law-posters
Media Contact:
Beth Brody, fisher VISTA (For XpertHR)
beth@hrmarketer.com
609-397-3737