Why Labor Law Poster Compliance Matters
Labor law posters inform employees of their rights under federal, state and local laws. Failing to display these posters constitutes noncompliance.
The U.S. Department of Labor lists the relevant notices and their posting requirements on its webpage for federal workplace posting requirements. The requirements vary by business location and the employees it hires.
There is also a compliance burden, which varies in intensity. A single-location employer with a single workforce profile can post manually, but the risk increases with each additional state, business, or remote employee.
Failure to comply with the poster requirements can come to light during audits, inquiries and disputes with employees. There are three significant risks associated with noncompliance.
Although agencies may cite you for posting violations alone, in some jurisdictions, penalties are increased per location or poster, disproportionately affecting firms with multiple locations.
The employer’s defense is weakened if they cannot establish where workers claim to be ignorant of workplace rights. The discovery of posting gaps may also expose unrelated labor disputes to scrutiny. Investigations take time, pulling businesses away from calculated initiatives, and generate reputational noise that branding teams must manage.
Where Can You Buy Mandatory Labor Law Posters for Your Business?
Because tracking poster requirements is complex, your organization may want to consider partnering with a poster provider rather than managing updates on its own. Finding a provider that serves your business’s specific needs is crucial. Each of the firms listed below met key criteria and has an excellent reputation in the industry.
Key Criteria
| Regulatory accuracy | Jurisdiction coverage |
|---|---|
| Frequent updates | Adaptability |
| Transparency | Compliance safeguards |
After considering the factors above, three clear providers stood out as meeting the needs of most businesses.
Many companies utilize external vendors to alleviate the tracking burden and ensure compliance with regulations. The following providers handle poster compliance differently, but each meets the requirements above.
1. Poster Compliance Center
Poster ComplianceCenter serves companies with complex regulatory compliance needs, such as those with multiple locations, operating in multiple states, or those with numerous business entities that may be completely, jointly, or severally owned by the same parent corporation. Regulatory compliance is not always directly tied to company size.
The company sells annual subscriptions based on the locations where a business operates. When legislative changes occur, new posters ship to customers, freeing business professionals from tracking labor laws to remain compliant. This enables consistency across locations and allows internal resources to work on higher-value tasks.
Additionally, Poster Compliance Center provides account support and a $41,000 compliance warranty. For companies with a distributed or hybrid workplace, Poster Compliance Center’s platform offers digital access to posters, enabling employers to post in compliance in both physical and remote work environments.
2. J.J. Keller
As a provider of compliance and safety solutions, J.J. Keller offers a full menu of regulatory content. Companies that already use Keller’s solutions for workplace safety training or transportation compliance programs often default to Keller for labor law poster management.
The company sells federal and state pack combinations and optional update services, notifying clients when laws change and offering them the opportunity to replace obsolete posters with updated versions. The method grants teams greater flexibility, but it requires more oversight than automated subscription models do.
J.J. Keller is now an established player that integrates with other compliance tools, making it a good choice for companies seeking a single vendor for multiple compliance areas.
3. LaborLawCenter
LaborLawCenter offers both basic and industry-specific custom posters to small businesses, large corporations, and organizations in various industries, including construction, retail, hospitality, and other regulated work environments.
The business sells physical posters, with customers accessing digitized versions to use in non-office environments. A more personalized approach appeals to small and midsized companies that need to balance complying with time limits.
LaborLawCenter’s services are designed for employers with more limited compliance needs, such as those in smaller jurisdictions or industries that do not require the larger enterprise subscription structures.
Why Poster Requirements Are Hard to Manage Internally
Failures to comply with poster requirements often result from confusing and inconsistent rules. For businesses already managing their own hiring process and benefits and retention, managing posters is another complication that checklists can help simplify and streamline.
Jurisdiction and Industry Variations
Posting requirements typically vary by state, county or municipality. Employers with multiple locations must determine which posting requirements apply to each area. Certain industries may require additional specific notices that may be amended independent of labor law updates.
State labor agencies often provide updates outside federal timelines, leading to compliance gaps when HR can update in one place but not in the other without a centralized tracker.
Workforce Structure and Accessibility
Who the employees are, how many there are, their job types and whether they work remotely, in the field, or at a site also impact posting requirements.
The federal government encourages posting required notices digitally for remote workers, not just on static files or onboarding portals. Frequent changes create the need for continuing access rather than just a one-time upload.
Display Standards and Visibility
Posters must be placed in areas where employees are reasonably expected to see them during working hours. It’s wise to display posters in break areas or near time clocks, rather than in individual offices or secured areas.
The same principles apply digitally. Staff must know where to look, and the location must be consistently applied. Visibility is the key, not simply availability.
Regulatory Change and Updates
Poster requirements, wage thresholds, leave programs, or enforcement priorities change before a single-year plan begins for the plan year.
Postings may also be updated as standards are issued or employee rights are changed. No monitoring system exists to prevent this, and the updates are only discovered during an audit or inquiry.
Tips for Staying Compliant
Poster compliance works best as a system. Designating poster owners, recording poster locations, and conducting periodic spot checks will reduce risk. Working with a vendor that tracks regulatory changes can eliminate the need for manual tracking. Ensure posters are accurate, accessible, legally compliant and understood by employees.
Be cautious about where you buy labor law compliance posters. Scammers disguise fake mailer products as government-issued documents. These mailers demand immediate payment, often using urgency as a pressure tactic instead of clarity.
Legitimate providers identify themselves as vendors. Organizations can avoid unnecessary purchases and confusion by understanding their update practices, jurisdictions, and service options.
Consistent Compliance Helps You Meet Labor Law Requirements
Labor law posters are part of day-to-day compliance and employee assurance. A program supported by labor law posters enhances both the organization’s legal protection and its credibility. The proper process and partner can turn poster compliance from a recurring annoyance into a reliable system that supports the organization’s long-term stability.