Labor law posters are one of those things you can order once, stick to the break room wall and forget about, right? In this episode of the DE Talk podcast, Al Contrera and Ed Buenaventura from the Labor Law Center set the story straight by discussing both federal and state requirements, how to avoid costly penalties, and more. Take a peek at the conversation below to uncover some common mistakes employers make!
Shannon Offord:
In terms of mistakes and misconceptions surrounding labor law posters, what are some of the most common mistakes you see HR teams making right now?
Ed Buenaventura:
Few common mistakes that stand out include one, assuming one department for posters. Laws vary by state, city, and even industry. So, various departments enforce their regulations and compliance policies that contribute to a multitude of required posters, even within a state. It could be the workforce industry department or it could be paid leave department. It’s split up that way so that not one entity is controlling all of it. The second thing is, ignoring multi-location or remote setups. Each physical location typically needs its own set of posters, like a California restaurant, for instance, needs different postings than a New York tech company.
Third thing is, letting the posters become outdated. Laws change, and many HR departments don’t realize a new paid sick leave law, for instance, may require an immediate poster update. This is when effective dates come into play, right? Sometimes there’s an effective date and that must be posted immediately by that date. Sometimes there isn’t, and it’s more of an as soon as possible situation. The last thing I want to go over is storing posters in the wrong place. When we say they must be conspicuously displayed in common employee areas, that’s actually in the statute itself. It says, ‘post in a conspicuous area where all employees can view’, so that it’s not buried under a filing cabinet or in the break room corner. It’s in a high traffic area in the office.
Shannon Offord:
So, it sounds like even HR leaders who are super knowledgeable and well-informed can fall out of compliance basically unknowingly if they overlook some of these things.
Al Contrera:
Yeah, absolutely. And that’s why it’s critical to build a process. It can’t just be a one and done, but this is an ongoing workflow for the HR team and your labor law vendor.
Shannon Offord:
Earlier you mentioned digital posters and remote workers post-2020. In that workplace, where employers have hybrid or even fully remote workers, what are the rules for digital posters with remote teams?
Listen to the full episode to hear the answer to this pertinent question, which our guests confirm is currently one of the most misunderstood areas surrounding labor law posters! Stay tuned for more great podcast content in the coming weeks, including bonus episodes! Subscribe to our emails or sign up to receive text alerts when new episodes are available.
