Employers are required by both federal and state law to inform their employees of their labor and employment rights by providing labor and employment law posters in the workplace. These posters are required to be displayed in common and conspicuous areas, such as break rooms, lunch areas or reception areas.

While the requirements of workplace posters vary from state to state, labor and employment law posters basics generally include:

1. The Minimum Wage compliance poster which informs employees of the minimum wage, overtime wage and child labor standards

2. The Occupational and Safety Act, or OSHA posters, which inform employees of their right to a safe workplace and provide information on how to report an employer's lack of compliance with labor laws and OSHA.

3. The Equal Employment Opportunity poster which describes the types of discrimination that is prohibited in the workplace

4. The Family Medical Leave Act poster which informs employees of their right to unpaid leave for certain family and medical situations

5. The Employee Polygraph Protection Act poster which states that employers are prohibited from discriminating against applicants or employees who refuse a polygraph test

6. The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act employment notice for those employees subject to the Act.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find out the compliance poster requirements of your state

In addition to the federal requirements, each state has its own laws on labor and employment law posters basics. Luckily, there are many readily available resources to help you find out your particular state's current requirements.

I recommend: GovDocs provides a summary of each state's employment and labor law poster requirements. The Department of Labor website also has an interactive map that allows you to select your state and connect you to your local small business office and poster requirements.

Get the appropriate labor and employment law posters

Once you know your state and industry's requirements, you will need to get the necessary employment notices. You can get free posters from the your state labor law office or print out copies from the Department of Labor website. For a price, you can also get employment and labor law notices in full color, laminated and fully up-to-date from several online vendors.

I recommend: The Department of Labor has the most recent federal labor law notices and employment posters. The Labor Law Compliance Center has both federal posters and state posters, as well as those posters specific to certain industries. Environmentally conscious employers may even want to consider "going green" by purchasing recycled posters printed with soy-based ink from vendors such as the Poster Compliance Center.

Post the employment law posters in an area that they are likely to be noticed

Depending upon the nature of your business, you will want to post the labor and employment notices in a manner and place that attracts the most attention. For prominent and noticeable employment and labor law posters that can easily be seen by every employee, it is helpful to frame the posters to make them more conspicuous and less resistant to everyday wear and tear. Employers in states with a large Spanish-speaking populations should provide the required labor notices in Spanish as well.

I recommend: Personnel Concepts offers accessories, including poster hangers and frames, to better display your federal and state labor law notices. The Business Know-How website offers employment and labor posters in Spanish for those employers with a Spanish-speaking workforce.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Because compliance with labor and employment law posters basics can be tricky, if you have any questions at all about state or federal labor law posters required for your business, you should contact an experienced labor law attorney. Your state's Bar Association should be able to refer you to an attorney in your area who is experienced with workplace posters and labor law compliance.

Every American business with three or more employees must display employee information posters required by federal and state law. Exactly which posters your business must display, and precisely where and how they must be posted, varies by industry, the number of employees, your state and other factors.

Three things you need to know:

1. Compliance matters. There are hefty fines and other penalties for failing to post.
2. Most posters inform employees about their rights and procedures related to health and safety, minimum wages, workers compensation and Equal Opportunity.
3. Posting laws change often; for example, 40 percent of states change their posting requirements each year. Ongoing compliance demands vigilance.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Know which posters you need

Poster rules are no secret. These resources will tell you what you need.

I recommend: Review the official table of federal poster rules for small business or consult the companion Poster Advisor tool. The Poster Advisor will generate a customized list of links to federal posters required for companies of your size and industry, plus other links to federal labor resources recommended for companies like yours.

Don't forget about your state requirements

Each state has its own poster laws for state-controlled labor issues such as minimum wage or unemployment insurance.

I recommend: Follow the links provided by the U.S. Department of Labor to visit your state's labor offices, or consult a poster vendor, many of which, like this one from HRdocs.com, provide free links to lists of state requirements. The Interstate Labor Standards Association maintains a complete list of state labor contacts and Web sites.

Check for industry-specific requirements

Companies in some industries fall under laws requiring still more posters For example, those doing government construction must post signs related to the Davis-Bacon Act (which governs minimum wages for construction workers) and real-estate-related companies must post the Fair Housing poster.

I recommend: Start by getting workers comp compliance assistance from the Department of Labor. See the Labor Law Center's Specialty Posters list, and read and post on its labor-related forums to consult experts and peers about any special posting requirements for your industry.

Purchase posters or download the ones you need for free

Posters are available from multiple sources, each with its own advantages.

I recommend: You can download federal posters, each formatted for letter-size paper, free from the Department of Labor's official table of federal posters or by emailing the U.S. Department of Labor at OSBP@dol.gov. Most states also offer their posters free for downloading from their Labor Department Web sites. Non-government vendors charge for their posters, but often offer additional benefits, such as lamination or space-saving designs. Try Business Know-How or GovDocs.com for an "all-in-one" format that combines all federal and state posters into a single, laminated poster. If you order printed posters, make sure to buy enough posters to post in every location required.

Post by the rules

Posting in the right place is as important as using the right poster. Posters have different posting requirements, although most federal posters must appear in a place employees visit daily (such as near the time clock or in the break room) and in a place where job applicants can see them as well. If you buy an 'all-in-one' poster, you must post it everywhere any of the incorporated posters is required.

I recommend: Follow the instructions supplied on the poster download site of your choice, above, or that accompany the posters shipped from a vendor. If you're not sure how to post, email the U.S. Department of Labor at OSBP@dol.gov or visit their website at DOL.gov.

To keep compliant, keep current

State-required labor law posters change more often than federal posters, but all change now and then.

I recommend: Sign up for Business KnowHow's free Update Notification Service, which emails you whenever posting laws change, or for a fee-based service from GovDocs.com that automatically emails you updated electronic versions of your posters whenever the law changes them.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Employers must post state and federal minimum wage posters even if no employees are paid minimum wage.
• •  If you operate in multiple states, in each site you must post the state posters for that state.
• •  Lamination is important in dirty or damp workplaces — damaged signs may not be compliant.
• •  Some vendors guarantee their posters' compliance, including a promise to reimburse any fines incurred if their signs are properly posted but judged non-compliant.

Labor and employment law posters are an essential tool for the workplace. Employment law posters cover a variety of topics from federal and state labor laws to OSHA compliance regulations to other legal topics important to the rights of the employees in your business. The government requires that businesses post federal labor law posters to inform employees on labor practices and laws in places where employees can easily see the information.

Each compliance poster serves a particular purpose for informing employees about labor laws and regulations. Whether you are looking for state of federal posters, labor and employment law posters pricing and costs can be affordable. Most poster suppliers offer the following options:

1. State and federal labor law notices combined to save money.

2. Reinforcement posters that offer reminders for compliance.

3. Free information on updated posters when the content changes.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Choose state labor law posters for your business

The first type of posters that any business needs to consider purchasing is the state labor law posters which outline the practices of each individual state's labor laws. State labor law posters outline information on child labor, sexual harassment and emergency information and may also combine federal labor law information. State only labor law posters cost $17-$18 for an 18-by-24 poster.

I recommend: LaborLawCenter offers newly updated state labor law posters for all fifty states. The posters include information on minimum wage, worker's compensation and unemployment insurance. HRdirect offers information on mandatory updates for state and federal labor law posters.

Purchase a federal employment law poster for the workplace

Another requirement for all businesses in the United States is the federal labor law poster. This poster contains information on the latest federal minimum amount, military leave notices, equal employment and employee rights. Most federal labor law posters cost $10-$20, depending on whether they are English only or bilingual.

I recommend: All in One Poster Company provides a variety of federal labor law posters that meet federal requirements for informing employees. United States Department of Labor provides information on the types of posters available. It also provides information on which businesses must post posters.

Buy workplace posters in packages to save money

Businesses that manufacture and sell state and federal labor law posters often bundle these together at a lower price for businesses. The bundles can include state and federal labor law posters, OSHA standards and a variety of other law notices and safety information. Poster bundles can cost $25-$30, depending on what it includes.

I recommend: Labor Law Compliance Center offers combination state and federal labor law posters, as well as company safety and compliance packages. Personnel Concepts offers a company checklist to determine what type of posters your business needs.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Any required federal labor law poster is also available in Spanish for bilingual companies.

Even if you're a small business owner, you're well aware that you could face consequences if you don't comply with federal and state labor law posting requirements. The regulations are intended to inform employees of certain rights they have from the government and from your company. Not only must you stay informed of changes to these laws, but you must also make sure you are posting these revised notices in properly designated places in your business. Learn some labor and employment law posters key terms that will help your company comply.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Poster requirements

The main source for poster requirements in the United States is the Department of Labor.

I recommend: The Department of Labor's website explains poster requirements, the statutes and regulations they're based on, what languages the posters come in and how you can find out which posters your business is required to display.

Interstate Labor Standards Association

The Interstate Labor Standards Association is comprised of officials from different state departments who help enforce labor laws.

I recommend: You can find out more about the objectives of the Interstate Labor Standards Association by accessing its website. You'll learn about its members, how you can get assistance from the Association to comply with your state's labor laws, and how the members help the Association meet its goals.

Compliance protection certificate

Concerned about compliance with labor law posting requirements, some business owners are resorting to compliance protection certifications that prove they're following the regulations.

I recommend: The Poster Compliance Center explains the value of having a compliance protection certificate and exactly what the certificate means. You'll also find out what's included in a typical compliance protection package.

Workforce development workplace posters

A workforce development poster is one of the more common types of labor law posters required in most states.

I recommend: Typical of those in most states, the State of Wisconsin's department of labor website identifies the specific posters by name along with their publication number, when it was last revised, and what kind of companies are required to post them.

Family Medical Leave Act Labor Law poster

The Family Medical Leave Act Labor Law poster is another standard poster required in all states.

I recommend: Go to the State, Federal, & OSHA Labor Law Posters website to find out how this poster tells employees of their rights under the Family Medical Leave Act. You'll also learn who is required to post these notices and the fines for not posting them.

Consulting services

Not surprisingly, business owners are depending on consulting services to help them comply with poster requirements.

I recommend: On the J.J. Keller website, find out how a consultant can help you assess whether your company is fully compliant with federal and state posting regulations.