Labor Law Poster Frequently Asked Questions
1. What does the law say about posting labor law notices?
There is no single federal law that establishes all workplace posting requirements. Instead, individual federal and state laws and regulations require employers to display specific notices informing employees of their workplace rights and protections.
For example, federal posting requirements include the Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) notice under 29 U.S.C. § 2003, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) notice under 29 C.F.R. § 825.300, and the OSHA Job Safety and Health: It’s the Law! poster under 29 C.F.R. § 1903.2.
Employers may also be subject to additional state and local posting requirements depending on their location, industry, number of employees, and other applicable laws.
2. Where should I post my posters?
Labor law posters generally should be displayed in a conspicuous and accessible location where employees can easily see and read them. Common locations include employee break rooms, lunchrooms, near time clocks, employee entrances, or other areas where workplace notices are customarily posted.
Employers with multiple locations may need to display required posters at each establishment. If employees work on separate floors or in different areas and do not regularly visit the same posting location, additional posters may be necessary to ensure the required notices are readily visible to all employees.
Certain federal notices must also be accessible to job applicants. For example, the FMLA, Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA), and EEOC “Know Your Rights” notices have posting requirements that include applicants for employment.
3. Am I required to post my posters in English and Spanish?
Not always. There is no general federal requirement that all labor law posters be displayed in both English and Spanish. Language requirements vary depending on the particular law, notice, and workforce.
For example, under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), if a significant portion of an employer's workforce is not literate in English, the employer must provide the required general notice in a language in which those employees are literate. Certain other federal posting requirements may also require notices in Spanish or another language under specific circumstances.
State and local requirements can vary as well. Employers should review the language requirements that apply to each required workplace notice and consider providing translated posters when appropriate for employees who are not proficient in English. Labor Law Compliance Center also offers Spanish and bilingual labor law posters for employers that need or choose to provide workplace notices in multiple languages.
4. If I post the six common Federal postings is that all I need?
Not necessarily. There is no single set of six federal labor law posters that satisfies every employer's posting obligations. Federal posting requirements vary depending on factors such as employer coverage, number of employees, industry, government-contract status, location, and applicable law.
Employers may also be required to display additional state and local workplace notices. Federal contractors and employers in certain industries may have additional federal contractor posting requirements as well.
Employers should determine which federal, state, and local notices apply specifically to their workplace rather than assuming that a standard set of federal posters satisfies every posting requirement.
5. Do I have to change my posters every year?
Not necessarily. Employers generally do not need to replace labor law posters simply because a new calendar year begins. Posters should be updated when a federal, state, or local agency makes a mandatory change to a required workplace notice and the existing poster is no longer compliant.
Not every employment law change results in a mandatory poster change, and the frequency of required updates varies by jurisdiction and notice. Employers should monitor applicable posting requirements and make sure the workplace notices they display remain current.
6. Can I post my posters on an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet?
It depends on the specific notice. Some workplace posters have minimum size or formatting requirements, while others do not specify a particular poster size. Employers should make sure each required notice is displayed in a format that complies with the applicable law or agency requirements and remains easily readable.
For example, OSHA regulations require reproductions or facsimiles of the federal OSHA “Job Safety and Health: It’s the Law!” poster to be at least 8½" × 14" with printing of at least 10-point type. The poster's heading must also be in large type, generally not less than 36-point. Therefore, reducing the OSHA poster to fit on standard 8½" × 11" paper would not satisfy OSHA's size requirement.
Labor Law Compliance Center reviews applicable size, type, formatting, and other posting requirements when producing its labor law posters.
7. Do I need labor law posters at off-site work locations?
It depends on the applicable notice and where employees work or report. Employers with multiple establishments or off-site work locations may be required to display workplace notices at more than one location.
For example, OSHA regulations address employees who work at physically dispersed locations. When employees report to a particular location each day, the OSHA notice generally must be posted at that location. When employees do not usually work at or report to a single establishment, the notice must generally be posted at the location from which they operate to carry out their activities. See 29 C.F.R. § 1903.2(b).
Some laws have additional job-site posting requirements. For example, covered work under the Davis-Bacon Act requires the applicable notice to be posted at the site of the work in a prominent and accessible place where workers can easily see it.
Employers with multiple locations, job sites, or dispersed employees should review the requirements for each applicable notice to determine where posters must be displayed.
8. Am I required to post posters in an area where job applicants can see?
Certain workplace notices must be displayed where job applicants as well as employees can see them. However, this requirement does not apply to every labor law poster.
For example, covered employers must display the EEOC “Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal” poster in a conspicuous location where notices to applicants and employees are customarily posted. The federal FMLA and Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) notices also have requirements that make them accessible or visible to applicants for employment.
Employers should review the requirements for each applicable workplace notice to determine whether it must be displayed where job applicants can readily see it.
9. How do I know if my posters are out of date?
Check the revision date on each workplace notice and compare it with the current version published by the federal, state, or local agency responsible for that notice. Government agencies often identify the revision date or provide the current official poster on their websites.
A change in employment law does not always require a new poster. A poster generally needs to be replaced when the responsible agency makes a mandatory change to a required workplace notice and the version being displayed is no longer current.
Labor Law Compliance Center posters also include QR code compliance verification technology, allowing employers to quickly check the status of their posters and determine whether an update may be required. Employers who want ongoing protection can also enroll in our labor law poster replacement plan to receive replacement posters when covered mandatory changes occur.
10. What is the fine for not posting posters?
Federal and State fines are imposed by various agencies. The fines also vary.
Posting Violations
Federal Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law Contract sanctions can be imposed for uncorrected violations.
Federal FMLA $216 per offense
Federal Employee Polygraph Protection Act Secretary of labor can bring court actions and assess civil penalties for failing to post.
Notice to Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act A civil money penalty may be assessed.
Federal OSHA Poster A civil penalty of up to $16,550
CAL/OSHA Poster A penalty of up to $1,000 per violation
11. How do labor law posters protect my company and benefit my employees?
Displaying required labor law posters helps employers meet their workplace posting obligations while ensuring employees have access to important information about their rights and responsibilities under federal, state, and local employment laws.
Required notices may provide information about minimum wage, workplace safety, discrimination, family and medical leave, workers' compensation, unemployment insurance, paid leave, and other employment protections.
Keeping required workplace notices current can also help employers avoid potential penalties associated with certain posting violations and demonstrates an ongoing effort to maintain workplace compliance. Labor law posters also provide employees and supervisors with a readily accessible reference to important workplace rights and employer responsibilities.
12. Can I cross off the Minimum Wage when it changes and write in the new amount?
Generally, no. If a federal, state, or local agency issues a revised minimum wage poster as a mandatory posting change, employers should display the current official version rather than crossing out the old wage rate and writing in a new amount.
A revised notice may include changes beyond the minimum wage rate, such as updated effective dates, employee rights, exemptions, contact information, or other required language. Manually changing only the wage amount could leave other required information outdated or make the notice inconsistent with the version issued by the responsible agency.
Employers should obtain and display the current required notice whenever a mandatory poster update takes effect.
13. What kind of fines is my company subject to by OSHA and the DOL?
Penalties for failing to display required workplace notices vary depending on the law, agency, and type of violation. Some federal posting requirements carry specific civil monetary penalties, while others may have different enforcement consequences.
For example, as of 2026:
- OSHA: Violations of OSHA posting requirements may result in penalties of up to $16,550 per violation.
- EEOC: Covered employers that fail to post the required “Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal” notice may be subject to a penalty of $680 per violation.
- FMLA: A willful violation of the FMLA posting requirement may result in a civil monetary penalty of up to $216 for each separate offense.
- Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA): Violations of the EPPA may result in civil monetary penalties of up to $26,262.
Penalty amounts may be adjusted periodically, and additional federal, state, or local penalties may apply depending on the workplace and applicable law. Employers should verify current requirements and penalty amounts with the government agency responsible for each notice.
14. Do remote employees need access to labor law posters?
Yes. Employers should ensure that remote employees have access to applicable workplace notices, but whether electronic posting can replace a physical poster depends on the specific law and the employer's workforce.
For certain federal notices, electronic posting may satisfy posting requirements when employees work exclusively remotely, customarily receive information from the employer electronically, and have readily available access to the electronic notices at all times. Employers with hybrid workforces may need to maintain required physical posters at the workplace while also providing remote employees with electronic access to applicable notices.
For example, electronic posting of the FMLA general notice is permitted as long as all applicable FMLA posting requirements are satisfied.
Because federal, state, and local requirements can differ, employers should review the posting requirements applicable to their remote and hybrid employees. Employers can also use Labor Law Compliance Center's eViewer digital labor law poster service to provide remote and hybrid employees with convenient electronic access to workplace notices.
15. Can labor law posters be provided electronically?
In some circumstances, yes. Electronic posting may satisfy or supplement certain workplace notice requirements, but it does not automatically replace physical posting requirements. Whether electronic delivery is sufficient depends on the particular law, the notice, and how employees access workplace information.
Employers with physical workplaces should not assume that placing notices on an intranet or employee portal eliminates physical posting obligations. For remote and hybrid employees, a digital labor law poster service such as Labor Law Compliance Center’s eViewer can provide employees with convenient electronic access to current federal and state workplace notices.
16. Do businesses with multiple locations need labor law posters at every location?
Generally, required workplace notices should be displayed at each establishment where covered employees work when the applicable law requires posting at the establishment or in a conspicuous location accessible to employees.
The exact requirements vary by notice. Employers operating in multiple states or cities should also determine whether different state or local posting requirements apply at each location. DOL's guidance, for example, describes the FLSA notice as being posted conspicuously in covered establishments.
17. Do employers need city or local labor law posters?
They may. In addition to federal and state posting requirements, some cities, counties, and other local jurisdictions require employers to display workplace notices covering subjects such as minimum wage, paid leave, scheduling, employee rights, or other local employment laws.
Requirements vary depending on the location of the workplace and the specific local ordinance. Employers should check whether their city, county, or other local jurisdiction has additional posting requirements beyond federal and state notices.
Employers can review our city and local labor law posters to find workplace posting requirements for specific local jurisdictions.
18. When should a labor law poster be replaced?
A labor law poster should be updated when a federal, state, or local agency makes a mandatory change to a required workplace notice. Not every change in employment law requires a new poster, and not every poster changes each year.
Employers should monitor the government agencies responsible for their required notices and replace affected posters when a mandatory posting change takes effect. Employers who prefer ongoing monitoring can use a labor law poster replacement service to receive updated posters when covered mandatory changes occur.
19. Are federal and state labor law posters both required?
Many employers are subject to both federal and state workplace posting requirements. Federal laws establish certain nationwide posting obligations, while states may require additional notices covering minimum wage, workers' compensation, unemployment insurance, workplace safety, paid leave, discrimination, and other employee rights.
The specific posters required depend on factors such as the employer's location, industry, number of employees, and applicable laws. Employers can simplify workplace posting by using federal and state labor law posters that combine generally required federal notices with applicable state workplace postings.
20. Do small businesses need labor law posters?
Often, yes. There is no single employee-count exemption that eliminates all labor law posting requirements for small businesses.
Some posting requirements apply to employers with very few employees, while others apply only after an employer reaches a particular employee threshold. For example, DOL notes that some small businesses may not be covered by FMLA even though other federal posting requirements may still apply.
A business owner with no employees generally does not have to display federal workplace posters, according to DOL.
Last reviewed: September 2026