EMPLOYMENT LAW NEWS
Labor Law Poster Spotlight: Important New Posters from Bernalillo County Unincorporated, Chicago, and Connecticut
By Hannah Opheim, Compliance Paralegal
A highlight of several recent labor law poster releases that employers should know about, brought to you by the GovDocs Employment Law and Compliance Team.
Key Takeaways
- ✓ Bernalillo County Unincorporated Minimum Wage Poster: County minimum wage rises from $10.60 to $10.95 (tipped wage unchanged at $3.00), but New Mexico's minimum wage at $12.00 supersedes Bernalillo County's minimum wage; posters were released at the end of May this year, about four months later than the usual January timing. Employers must still make up the difference if a tipped employee's wages plus tips don't reach $12.00.
- ✓ Connecticut Discrimination Poster: Now covers three new protected categories including victims of sexual assault, victims of human trafficking, and criminal conviction status (state employment/licensing only) — part of a broader trend of expanded protections in states like California, DC, and Oregon.
- ✓ Chicago Labor Standards Poster: Minimum wage rises to $17.05 (tipped: $12.96) effective July 1, 2026; youth/domestic worker wage rates are eliminated; and Paid Sick and Safe Leave eligibility extends from 30 to 90 days after employment.
In this monthly series, the GovDocs Employment Law and Compliance Team highlights three recent labor law poster releases that employers need to know about.
Bernalillo County Unincorporated Minimum Wage Poster
Bernalillo County has historically been a complex jurisdiction in terms of its minimum wage requirements. The County currently has a minimum wage that is lower than the State of New Mexico, which has been sitting comfortably at $12.00 for a few years now, including 2026. Due to the state having a higher wage than the local jurisdiction, employers in Bernalillo County must pay a higher rate. However, the County has continued updating its poster to show its established wage with instructions for employers to pay the more generous rate.
In recent years, Bernalillo County released its posters close to or just after the Jan. 1 effective date, but many employers may have noticed that was not the case this year. The County did not release its changes until the end of May, nearly four months later than usual. These changes include updating the “minimum wage” from $10.60 to $10.95, reflecting a gradual increase toward the $12.00 state wage. The tipped wage remains at $3.00, consistent with previous years.
As a reminder for employers of tipped employees: if an employee’s tipped wages do not equal or exceed $12.00 with tips included, the employer must pay the difference.
This poster, in both English and Spanish, is required for all employers in this jurisdiction. The GovDocs Standard Update Program is currently shipping new minimum wage posters to customers affected by these changes.
Connecticut’s Discrimination Poster
Connecticut has seen a few updates in the last couple of years to its discrimination poster, which is currently required to be displayed by all employers (in English) in the Nutmeg State. In 2025, agencies updated this poster to expand discrimination categories, and this month it was further supplemented to include the following protected categories:
- Status as a victim of sexual assault
- Status as a victim of trafficking in persons
- Status of criminal conviction (applying only to state employment and licensing)
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Protections related to sexual assault and similar categories are becoming more widespread across select states, including California, the District of Columbia, and Oregon.
GovDocs is shipping these posters in both English and Spanish as part of our Standard Update Service program as well as our Spanish Update Service Program.
Chicago Labor Standards Poster
In keeping with past practices, Chicago updated its Labor Standards poster in June, which is required for all employers in English. If employers have Spanish or Polish-speaking employees who are not proficient in English, those versions must also be displayed.
The updates include the following:
- Minimum wage rate updated for July 1, 2026, to $17.05 (overtime wage: $25.58)
- Tipped employer wage updated for July 1, 2026, to $12.96 (overtime wage: $21.49)
- Separate youth and domestic worker wage rates eliminated this year
- Paid Sick and Safe Leave eligibility updated from 30 days to 90 days after employment
- Paid leave payout policies updated
The “Windy City” has experienced a significant number of updates this year to both its minimum wage and paid leave laws, making it even more crucial that workplace compliance requirements are met. GovDocs is shipping these posters as part of the update program to impacted customer locations. These will also be available as part of our Digital Labor Law Posters.
Need Help Keeping Track of Labor Law Poster Updates?
Stay ahead of labor law changes with GovDocs’ proactive update program. Your labor law poster program comes full circle backed by compliance experts, powered by LocationCheck™ technology, and built for multi-jurisdiction complexity — we keep your locations audit-ready, automatically.
This Employment Law News blog is intended for market awareness only, it is not to be used for legal advice or counsel.
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