Federal posters and who must display them
| Poster | Who must post it | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Employee Rights Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): minimum wage | Every employer with employees covered by the FLSA | DOL posters |
| Job Safety and Health: It's the Law (OSHA) | Private employers in a business affecting commerce. States with their own OSHA-approved plan may have a state version. | OSHA |
| Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) | Private employers engaged in commerce (federal, state and local governments are excluded) | DOL posters |
| Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) | All employers covered by USERRA must give employees this notice of their rights | DOL posters |
| "Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal" (EEOC) | Employers covered by federal anti-discrimination laws: generally 15 or more employees for at least 20 calendar weeks (20 or more for age discrimination) | EEOC |
| Employee Rights Under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) | Private employers with 50 or more employees in 20 or more workweeks, plus public agencies and schools. Covered employers must post it even if no employee is eligible yet. | DOL posters |
Agricultural employers, federal contractors and some other groups have extra posters. The Department of Labor's free FirstStep Poster Advisor asks a few questions and lists the federal posters that apply to you.
Where and how to post
- Put posters in a conspicuous place where employees (and, for the FMLA and EPPA notices, job applicants) can easily see them, such as a break room or near the entrance.
- If you have more than one location, each workplace needs its own set.
- Print copies are fine. OSHA accepts printed copies at least 8.5 by 14 inches with 10-point type, and you do not need to replace an older version of the OSHA poster.
- The penalties vary. The EEOC lists the penalty for not posting its notice as $680, adjusted each year for inflation. Covered employers that fail to post the OSHA poster can be cited.
You never need to buy these. OSHA says its poster is free and tells employers not to pay a third-party vendor for it, and every DOL and EEOC poster can be downloaded and printed at no cost. Letters that look official and demand payment for a poster set are sales offers.
Remote and hybrid teams
The Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division explained in Field Assistance Bulletin 2020-7 when electronic posting counts. For the FLSA poster, posting it online is enough only if all three are true:
- All of your employees work remotely, with no physical workplace.
- All employees normally get information from you electronically.
- All employees can open the posting at any time without asking permission.
If some people work on site and others work from home full time, keep the paper posters at the workplace and add the electronic version for remote staff. Either way, tell employees exactly where to find the notices (for example, a pinned link on your intranet). The FMLA rules allow electronic posting when it meets the same visibility standard, and the EEOC encourages covered employers to post its notice on their website in addition to the physical poster.
State posters
States add their own: state minimum wage, paid sick leave, workers' compensation, unemployment insurance and discrimination notices are common. Your state labor department lists them. Two examples:
- California: Workplace Postings from the Department of Industrial Relations, which lists each required notice, who must post it and the law behind it.
- New York: Posting Requirements under NYS Labor Law from the Department of Labor.
Some cities and counties have their own minimum wage or sick leave notices too. For state-by-state rules, start at HR by state.
When to check again
- When you hire your first employee, and when you first hire in a new state.
- When you reach 15 employees (EEOC notice) and 50 employees (FMLA notice). See HR laws by company size.
- Whenever your state or city changes its minimum wage or leave rules, because the posters change with them.
- When you move offices or open a new one.
Common questions
Do I need labor law posters if everyone works remotely?
Yes, the notices are still required, but you can post them electronically. The Department of Labor accepts electronic FLSA posting when every employee works remotely, normally gets information electronically and can open the posting at any time.
Do I have to buy a poster bundle?
No. Federal posters are free to download from the DOL, OSHA and EEOC, and state labor departments publish theirs for free as well.
Do I need the FMLA poster if I have 20 employees?
Not as a private employer. The FMLA posting duty applies to private employers with 50 or more employees in 20 or more workweeks, plus public agencies and schools.
How MambaHR handles this
MambaHR answers federal and state employment-law questions with the law cited, such as which notices apply once you hire your first person in a new state, and sends unclear cases to a person. It also does the onboarding admin, from new-hire forms to the first-week plan.
Sources
- DOL: Workplace Posters
- DOL elaws: FirstStep Poster Advisor
- OSHA: Job Safety and Health, It's the Law poster
- EEOC: "Know Your Rights" poster
- EEOC: Coverage of business and private employers
- DOL Wage and Hour Division: Field Assistance Bulletin 2020-7, electronic posting
- 29 CFR 825.300, FMLA employer notice requirements
- California DIR: Workplace Postings
- New York DOL: Posting Requirements
Last reviewed October 2, 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice. Laws change and exceptions apply, so check the sources above or an employment lawyer before you act on a specific case.