Labor Law Poster Spotlight: Important New Posters from Kentucky, Michigan, and Minnesota

In this monthly series, the GovDocs Employment Law and Compliance Team highlights three recent labor law poster releases that employers need to know about. 

Kentucky’s Equal Employment Opportunity Poster

Kentucky made several updates to its Equal Employment Opportunity poster. First, it removed the Kentucky Pregnant Workers Act (KPWA) section and added the information to the list of protected categories against discrimination in the workplace. Now, it states that the Kentucky Civil Rights Act (KCRA) prohibits employment discrimination based on “Pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions).” The list of protected categories on the posting comprises of the following (additions in red): 

• Disability 
• Race 
• Color 
• Religion 
• National origin 
• Sex 
• Age (40 years old and over) 
• Tobacco-smoking status 
• Pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions) 

Second, the poster’s section discussing reasonable accommodations replaced references to the KPWA with the KCRA. Finally, contact information, including a new address for the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights, fax number, and YouTube channel, were also added. 

Kentucky’s Equal Employment Opportunity poster must be displayed in the workplace by all employers. The GovDocs Standard Update Program is currently shipping updated posters to impacted customers with locations in Kentucky.   

Michigan’s Food Allergy Awareness Poster

Michigan’s Food Allergy Awareness poster had an overhaul. Notably, the poster added a ninth food allergen, or sesame (oil, seeds), to the list of top food allergens. The symptoms associated with allergic reactions also expanded to include drop in blood pressure, anaphylaxis, and rashes.  

Instead of the poster advising employees to notify the person in charge if a customer has an allergic reaction, the poster now indicates that individuals should call 911 when guests exhibit symptoms.  

Sources of cross-contact were also added, including:  

• Utensils
• Cutting boards
• Knives
• Aprons
• Gloves
• Hands
• Cooking equipment
• Cooking oils
• Steam
• Splatters

The poster reminds employers to train the house team in cross-contact so that the food is delivered safely to each table and provides a new website to learn more about food safety.  

Michigan’s Food Allergy Awareness poster is required to be displayed in the staff area by all food service establishments, which is defined as follows: 

“A fixed or mobile restaurant, coffee shop, cafeteria, short order cafe, luncheonette, grill, tearoom, sandwich shop, soda fountain, tavern, bar, cocktail lounge, nightclub, drive-in, industrial feeding establishment, private organization serving the public, rental hall, catering kitchen, delicatessen, theater, commissary, food concession, or similar place in which food or drink is prepared for direct consumption through service on the premises or elsewhere, and any other eating or drinking establishment or operation where food is served or provided for the public.”

Updated Michigan Food Allergy Awareness posters are available for purchase and included in the GovDocs Intranet Poster Program.   

Minnesota’s Minimum Wage Poster

During the summer, Minnesota passed a hefty omnibus labor and industry policy bill with several employment law updates. The updates included eliminating the two tiers of minimum wage rates for large and small employers heading into 2025.  

Accordingly, Minnesota’s minimum wage poster updated with the removal of the large, small, youth, and J-1 Visa-specific minimum wage rates. Now, it indicates that the state minimum wage, which applies to all employers in Minnesota on Jan. 1, 2025, will increase to $11.13 per hour while the training wage, which can be paid to employees under the age of 20 during the first 90 consecutive days of employment, will increase to $9.08 per hour.  

The updated poster also includes new information on wage theft, retaliation, and reporting violations. Minnesota further added QR codes for each section so employees can easily review information on Minnesota’s Department of Labor and Industry’s website.  

Minnesota’s Minimum Wage poster is required to be displayed by all employers. Both GovDocs Update Program and Spanish Update Program customers will receive updated posters for their Minnesota locations. 

Conclusion

Labor law poster updates are beginning to pile up. And as we step into the new year, a robust Employment Law Compliance Platform is key to remain up to date on the latest changes.