A number of federal and state laws require that employers post certain notices in places on the company’s premises where employees are likely to see them - bulletin boards, entrances and time clocks and other conspicuous places.
Where a company has more than one work site, posters must be placed at each site. Poster requirements are listed below. Posters are available at no charge from the regulatory agencies.
Posting requirements vary by statute. Not all employers are covered by the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) statutes and may not be required to post a specific notice. For example, small businesses not be covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act would not be subject to the FMLA’s posting requirements. The DOL's Employment Laws Assistance for Workers & Small Businesses offers thorough guidance. Visit their elaws FirstStep Poster Advisor.
The DOL requires employers to display posters on the federal minimum wage, overtime and child labor laws, and the Family and Medical Leave Act. Employees also must be notified of their rights under the Polygraph Protection Act of 1988. The Walsh-Healy Federal Contracts Act, the Davis Bacon and Related Acts, and the McNamara-O‘Hara Service Contract Act require contractors to provide certain notices to employees working on government contracts. Posters and information are available from the DOL's Wage and Hour Division.
Information on federal requirements including equal employment opportunity, age discrimination, federal contract compliance, and compliance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 may be obtained from the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Employers are required to provide to persons entitled to rights and benefits under USERRA, a notice of the rights, benefits and obligations of such persons and such employers under USERRA. Employers may provide the notice, “Your Rights Under USERRA”, by posting it where employee notices are customarily placed. However, employers are free to provide the notice to employees in other ways that will minimize costs while ensuring that the full text of the notice is provided (e.g. by handling or mailing out the notice, or distributing the notice via electronic mail). Posters and information are available from the U.S. Department of Labor, Veterans’ Employment and Training Services, at Your Rights Under USERRA.
Minnesota state law requires employers to display posters on:
All required posters are available from the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry and can be downloaded from the agency at Mandatory workplace posters. All of the posters are offered in English, Hmong, Somali and Spanish. Also review Revised Poster Pack.
Consultants at our Small Business Assistance Office can help you understand more about poster requirements. And our network of Small Business Development Centers has experts located in nine main regional offices and several satellite centers statewide.
Our Guide to Starting a Business in Minnesota covers this and An Employer's Guide to Employment Law Issues in Minnesota provide a deeper look at this and other issues that commonly arise in the workplace.
