Labor Law Posters: Multiple Companies in the Same Building?

On its face, labor law poster compliance sometimes seems simple.

Make sure you have updated posters, ensure employees have access to them (including electronic labor law posters), and away you go.

But some organizations take labor law poster compliance more seriously. At GovDocs, our clients are able to reach out about their program and get feedback from our Employment Law and Compliance team. And, in an effort to keep employers aware of the complexities of poster compliance, sometimes those questions are sometimes turned into blogs for Employment Law News.

Get More Out of Your Labor Law Poster Program

Labor Law Posters: Multiple Companies in the Same Building

New business models that have evolved in recent years include spaces that house multiple businesses.

So, how does labor law poster compliance work in these kinds of situations?

A major grocery store chain asked about locations that also house sushi stations, which are owned by separate companies. At the same time, employees from yet another company are sometimes on site, as well.

Question:

“Do we need literally three sets of posters (one for each company) or are the sushi company and the other company covered as long as we have our posters in place?”

Answer:

“Employers are required to post up-to-date labor law postings in a conspicuous area frequented by its employees in the workplace. Generally, there is no obligation for employers to provide employer-employee related posting information to workers who are not their employees. If there are other agreements in place between the client and these separate companies, they should reach out to their legal counsel for advice on their specific business situation.”

This exchange demonstrates the seriousness with which many organizations approach labor law poster management. They are the backbone of any compliance program and fines for noncompliance can be range widely.

For example:

• Illinois’ Your Rights Under Illinois Employment Laws posting – violation of posting requirements is subject to a fine of $250
• California’s Safety & Health Protection on the Job posting – failure to post may result in a fine up to $1,000 for each violation
• OSHA Occupation Safety and Health Act posting – violations may result in maximum fine up to $15,625

Lastly, other recent blogs that were posted in response to labor law poster compliance questions include:

• New York State Veterans’ Benefits Labor Law Poster
• States with Human Trafficking Posters
• Required Spanish Labor Law Postings
• New Denver Wage Theft Law
• Illinois One Day Rest in Seven: Labor Law Poster Update
• Los Angeles Predictive Scheduling Ordinance

Labor Law Poster Compliance Resources

Labor Law Poster Compliance

The rise of new employment laws in recent years has brought with it more difficulties in managing labor law posters, especially for companies that operate across the U.S.

Of course, whether a new law or updated law requires employers to display a related labor law posting depends on the legislation itself. Many types of laws require posters to be displayed. These laws are generally to do with:

• Employee rights
• Employee leave
• Unemployment insurance
• Child labor
• Workers’ compensation
• Employment discrimination
• Human trafficking
• Workplace safety
• Wage and hour

Not all laws require a labor law poster update. But the categories above, and others, like predictive scheduling, often do. For more, see our previous blog, The Life of a Labor Law Poster.

Electronic Labor Law Posters: 5 Steps to Avoid Noncompliance

Conclusion

So, how does labor law poster compliance work when there are multiple companies in the same building.

Typically, there is no obligation for one employer to provide labor law posters to workers who are not their employees. Still, compliance and HR teams should determine whether there are other agreements in place between the client and these separate companies.

This Employment Law News blog is intended for market awareness only, it is not to be used for legal advice or counsel.