Monday, August 8, 2011

Posting Posters or Notices in Workplace


Due to some of the statutes and regulations that need the posting of posters or notices by agencies of the Department of Labor of the United States in conspicuous areas of the workplace, as well as posters borne out of various states’ labor laws and regulations administer by such states’ Department of Labor or any agencies given those responsibilities. Such notices are what are generally refers to as labor law posters. Electronic copies of all these posters are provided by the federal Department of Labor for the benefit of all the stakeholders in the labor market.

There are varying requirements for posting of labor posters according to the laws guiding such posters. Though there may be some labor law posters or notices that cover a wide spectrum of employers, some businesses are bound not to be required to post some particular posters, whether a federal Department of Labor or states labor law posters.

The essence of posting the labor law posters at the place of employment is to allow the parties involved in the labor market, especially the employees, to have a simplify adequate knowledge of all conditions attached to the job they are holding. It also keeps the employers abreast of their obligations to the workforce in their businesses.

There are various Department of Labor posters like the Job and Safety Health Protection, Equal Employment Opportunity Is the Law, Minimum Wage, Special Minimum Wage, Your Right Under The Family and Medical Leave Act, Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Right Act, Notice To All Employees Working On Federal Or Federally Financed Construction Projects, Notice To Employees Working On Government Contracts, Notice Of Employees Polygraph Protection Act, Notice On Migrant And Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act, and Notification Of Employee Rights Under Federal Labor Laws.

Using the Colorado labor poster as an example of states labor law posters, you have posters like the Minimum Wage Law, Unemployment Insurance, Wage Payment Law, Employee Rights Are Protected, and The Anti Discrimination Law in Employment, Housing, and Places of Public Accommodation.

All such posters are meant to be display at commonly used areas such as lobbies, factory floors, and on notice boards based on those that are relevant to specific businesses for their employees to see and read. Furthermore, some of the posters are also produce in other languages apart from English for identified needs. Such other languages include Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Thai, Vietnamese, and Korean.  

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Understanding Labor Law Posters through Other Languages Apart From English


The labor law posters provided for the benefits of all employees and applicants are now produced in some other languages apart from English to cover the teeming numbers of the workforce with other native language who cannot read in English.

Because of increasing sections of the working class that of different native languages that is not English and their lack of been able to read English language in some states, the need for this category of workers is been met by the production and provision of different labor law posters in languages like Spanish.

In a state like California labor law posters are produced and translated in the two languages of English and Spanish to cater for the diverse nature of the population in the state. The Florida labor law poster is compulsorily produced in the both languages of English and Spanish due to the same peculiarity.

These posters are translated and produced in these languages other than the English language so as to cater for the sizeable level of the workforce in such states that are only well conversant with their native language that is not English. Without such allowance for other predominant languages, the aim of making the rights and conditions under which employers and employees relate available to all parties through the labor law posters will be defeated. By making these state labor law posters available in the Spanish language, the unnecessary second-hand awareness of the information on posters from interpreters that may be compromised are bound to be unnecessary since the workers concerned can read it in their own native language.

Some people may criticize the non translation and production of such posters in other languages like Arabic, Chinese, and African languages. This is not done due to the numbers of the affected workers not been substantial and the fact that many of the people involved having a good command of reading in English language. In cases where there are needs to attend to substantial level of workforce population that can read in other languages than the one use in posting the labor law posters in a state, this can be accommodated accordingly.

Since the labor laws that resulted in the labor law posters are made in order to maximize the wellbeing of the workforce , going the extra mile to accommodate all concerned through the additional production of such  posters in other languages  order than English which is understand by the workforce is a step in the right direction.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Safeguarding Employees Welfare through Labor Law Posters

Labor law posters are designed to maximize the wellbeing of all employees through the display of standardized information on the sets of laws, regulations, and conditions under which employees and employers are to maintain a working relationship in all workplaces.

In order to ensure that employers of labor conform to an average standard that will guarantee the conditions of service of the workforce, the federal and states governments by way of various enabling laws and regulations provide a two tier sets of criteria to be met by employers which are called the labor law posters that are specifically designed and produced according to specification set by the authorities concerned with the implementation of such laws.

The two tiers is made up of the first part which is the federal labor law posters that are mainly the minimum sets of regulations that employers are to satisfy for the benefit of their employees. These posters deal with issues such as the standardization of wage and compensation systems, working hours, right to be employed and re-employed of a class of people, and safety.  The second part is the additional regulations set by various states for employers in their states to complement the federal regulations so as to meet peculiar conditions existing in the various states. In case of any conflict in the federal and state labor law posters, the one with the highest benefits will be implemented be the employers.

Both tiers of labor law posters are meant to be posted at areas within the workplace that the employees will easily be able to see in order to be aware of their rights and conditions that bind them to the work they are or will be holding. The posters are constantly updated to meet prevailing conditions as time goes, and those employers that are affected by such updates will have to keep refreshing their posters to avoid fines, penalties, and law suits that may arise from not meeting the set conditions attached to the laws as enumerated by the labor law posters.

Since all employers cannot be trusted to put the interest of the workforce ahead of their need to maximize profit at all time, couple with the lack of awareness and the ability of securing the best conditions as to their employment, the government have to safeguard the rights of workers through adequate laws and regulations that are ultimately put at the workplace for all to access.

For one to have idea of the prevailing conditions, you can just go through a state’s labor poster like the Arizona labor poster which is bound to incorporate the federal posters.

Enforcing Abuse of Labor Law Posters


The enforcement of the labor laws is mainly in the hands of different agencies of the United States Department of Labor, supplemented by various states’ Labor Department and their agencies enforcing their own labor laws and regulations in their locality. The Department of Labor agencies such as Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Wage and Hour Division, Federal Contract Compliance Program, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, Employment and Training Administration, Veterans Employment and Training Service are given specific responsibilities for the enforcement of specific labor laws based on the statutes and regulations. It is based on these laws that various labor law posters are release for employers to place at conspicuous places for easy access by employees to be able to familiarize themselves with the terms, conditions, and regulations guiding their employment.

The penalties for the violation of the conditions of labor law posters and the laws and conditions stated in them vary according to the different kind of posters due to the stipulations in the enabling laws. The only way for employers of labor to avoid damaging lawsuits and unnecessary penalties is to comply and be always abreast of current aggregate labor posters that affect them.

Using the state of Colorado as an example, apart from the federal labor posters which apply to all states, the Colorado labor law posters includes: Minimum Wage Law; Anti Discrimination Law in Employment, Housing, and Places of public Accommodation; Unemployment Insurance; Wage Payment Law; Employee Rights Are Protected. The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment is mainly responsible for the enforcement of these labor posters.

A state like Ohio also has it own labor law posters that are: the public sector Safety and Health Protection on the Job, Fair Employment, Minimum Wage, Minor Labor Laws, Employment Compensation Notice, and Employee Rights are Protected. The Division of Industrial Compliance and Labor: Bureau of Wage and Hour Administration under the State of Ohio Department of Commerce is responsible for the Ohio labor law poster

Given the wide range of penalties attached to the contravention of the requirements for the posting of labor law posters and the laws themselves, the numerous federal and states agencies responsible for their enforcement are well armed and position to deal with any infringement in other to safeguard the rights of all stakeholders for a better workplace.

Indeed, the constant updating of the labor posters will keep all employees, employers, and applicants on their toes on the limit of their rights and privileges.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Why the need for Labor Posters


Safety posters are very essential form of notices in the work places in the United States of America. From the different states of United States, Labor lawposters serve as regulations to every worker either in the private setting or government setting. The usual content of these Labor law posters are the anti discrimination laws to the employees, minimum salary, rights, and protection of every worker in the eye of the law. The state labor law poster is covered from the federal law because they both have different roles in the country. Although they have the same use, they still differ in various ways. The federal law can give limited rights to the employees under the federal sector private section, thus providing less workplace safety and less statutory rights to all working groups. Sometimes, the federal laws may also override the regulating state laws because they are able to set standards for worker’s benefits and rights. The Federal labor law posters are very expressive in giving minimum salary to all the employees in the private and public groups. This labor law could also establish a limited work time rights to the employees who want to take advantage in making more cash in the company they are working. The federal law is more limited in providing rights and protection to all the employees in the private and public groups. These laws are applicable to all employees to limit the rights as well as to attend the statutory rights that the employees have derived from the state law. This is not a disadvantage because the Federal laws are only setting standards that would apply the employees of the country. Statutory rights are those rights that can be changed anytime by the state from the employees. They are also called temporary rights because the state could make another law that would replace these statutory rights. The state law could enact laws to the employees by giving their statutes in barring the discriminatory acts such as the basis for the worker’s gender, role, nationality, and age. This is because the state laws are providing more protection and rights to the employees from the various sectors without discrimination and personal stigma. On the other hand, the federal laws prevent most of the state statutes that may block employers from discriminating the employees in order for these employees not to claim any benefits from the office or any section from the law.