EMPLOYMENT LAW NEWS
By GovDocs
Updated November 2025
Large, multi-jurisdiction employers have plenty of employment law issues to manage without worrying about applying the wrong jurisdiction’s laws.
With the sharp increase in city and county requirements over the last few years, organizations have faced a new challenge: making sure they know the correct jurisdiction for their locations.
At first glance, it might seem easy enough to determine which jurisdiction applies to which location. But it’s not always simple.
In the past, employers could focus on federal and state laws, but all that has changed. Whether it’s minimum wage, paid leave or labor law posters, there are over 38,000 cities and counties that have the ability to issue new requirements. This makes jurisdictional accuracy more crucial than ever.
Listen to our 5-minute discussion on this blog post:
Below, we will walk through a few examples why zip codes are not an accurate method to determine which employment laws apply and go through some real-world examples.
ZIP codes were initially made to make mail delivery easier. They weren’t created to correspond to jurisdictional boundaries for cities, counties, or states.
There are 4 main reasons zip codes are problematic to determine jurisdictions which include:
So, what are some real-world examples of the challenges of using ZIP codes to apply employment laws?
Take for example the zip code of 60629 which is named Chicago, Illinois. This zip code spans several neighborhoods that include the city of Chicago and the village of Bedford Park, leading to overlapping regulations and compliance requirements.
At a larger level, ZIP codes can also span state borders:
Meanwhile, as another example, Oregon breaks out its minimum wage law based on population density:
But these borders can shift with new development, population changes, and other factors. And none of them have to do with ZIP codes.
As one might expect, labor law posters, minimum wage rates and other employment laws vary across jurisdictions, and maintaining compliance based on ZIP codes isn’t the best strategy.
Even using city addresses can cause issues. Consider city names in a large metropolitan area where the city name is used for the city, and all the suburbs surrounding the city, which all may entail different laws.
There is a mall in California with a Santa Clara address. But a portion of the structure falls within the bordering city of San Jose, which has a paid sick leave law, while Santa Clara does not. This, of course, could lead to noncompliance if an organization doesn’t have accurate tabs on a location.
Example: One mall that falls into two jurisdictions in Santa Clara
It’s understandable to feel overwhelmed when trying to define tricky jurisdictional lines, especially since manually checking every border is nearly impossible. The most reliable strategy is to partner with an employment law compliance provider who has the advanced technology to handle that complexity for you.
That’s why GovDocs has LocationCheck™ technology. An innovative feature that is designed to take the guesswork completely out of the process. Instead of relying on inaccurate zip codes or city names, LocationCheck determines the exact rules for any specific location based on the rooftop jurisdiction by assigning precise latitude and longitude to the location.
With GovDocs LocationCheck, you can:
Employers with hundreds, or even thousands, of locations across the U.S. have plenty of employment law matters to address.
But without the right jurisdiction, nothing else matters, and it opens the door for noncompliance and issues that can come with it:
For employers that operate in many jurisdictions across the nation, ensuring location accuracy is the first step toward a successful compliance program.
What is GovDocs?
GovDocs is a leading provider of employment law compliance solutions, empowering HR professionals to navigate complex, location-specific labor law postings, minimum wage requirements, and paid leave laws. GovDocs combines innovative technology with dedicated human-touch support to deliver worry-free compliance. Customers benefit from access to a centralized system, trusted resources, and expert employment law support they need, all in one place, to simplify compliance and protect their organization from risk. Trusted by over 35% of Fortune 500 companies, GovDocs focuses on comprehensive coverage of Federal, State, City, and County laws making employment law management seamless for organizations of all sizes. Join the evolution of employment law compliance here!
The GovDocs Poster Store simplifies posting compliance for employers with less than 30 locations across all industries, offering a variety of posting products to meet your labor law compliance needs.
This Employment Law News blog is intended for market awareness only, it is not to be used for legal advice or counsel.
City and County Labor Law Posting Requirements What Employers Need to Know 