Signs of the Times… Required Employer Postings in Connecticut

By Stuart M. Katz

Employers in Connecticut and elsewhere are required to display posters relating to a variety of workplace-related laws. With new signage requirements recently created due to the coronavirus pandemic, it is important to review which mandatory posters an employer should display within all of its establishments. Generally, both federal and state workplace posters must be displayed or posted in a conspicuous place where they are visible to all employees—like a break room, kitchen, or any area frequented by all employees. Failure to display these posters can result in penalties, fines, and lawsuits. All posters should be physically displayed within the workplace, however, if employees or new hires are working remotely, employers should also consider posting notices electronically or sending them via email.

The following posting requirements exist for Connecticut employers:

Federal Laws

• The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Poster (Federal Minimum Wage Poster): This poster explains the 2020 federal minimum wage of $11.00 and must be displayed by those employers covered by the FLSA. This poster must be displayed in a conspicuous place for all employees to read.
• The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Poster: If an employer is covered by the FMLA, a poster must be displayed at all locations in a conspicuous place. A covered employer includes: Public agencies (including state, local, and federal employers), public and private elementary and secondary schools, as well as private sector employers who employ 50 or more employees in 20 or more work weeks.
• The Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Poster (“Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law”): This poster must be posted by employers subject to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act; Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act; the Equal Pay Act; Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act; Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act.
• Paid Sick Leave and Expanded Family and Medical Leave Under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) Poster: This new poster is federally required to be placed in a conspicuous location for all employees to see.
• The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) Poster: The Job Safety & Health Protection Poster must be displayed in a place where all employees can see it. This poster must be displayed by private employers engaged in a business affecting commerce.
• The Employee Rights for Workers with Disabilities/Special Minimum Wage Poster (Fair Labor Standards Act, McNamara-O’Hara Service Contract Act and Walsh-Healey Public Contracts Act): This notice shall be posted in a conspicuous place for all employees can read, as well as where the parents or guardians of workers with disabilities can readily see it. This Poster provides information for workers with disabilities who are paid at subminimum wages.
• The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) Poster: Should be posted in a conspicuous place. However, employers are free to provide this notice in other ways that will minimize costs while ensuring that the full text of the notice is provided, e.g., by distributing the notice to all employees by direct handling, mailing, or via electronic mail.
• The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) Poster (Employee Rights Under the H-2A Program): This notice must be displayed in a place where all employees can see it.

Connecticut Laws

• CHRO Sexual Harassment Prevention Poster: the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunity Poster on Sexual Harassment Prevention shall be displayed in a conspicuous location for all employees to see regarding their rights to be free from sexual harassment in the workplace.
• Connecticut Minimum Wage Poster: The Connecticut minimum wage poster must be displayed in a conspicuous location for all employees to access.
• Connecticut Workers’ Compensation Commission Poster: This poster must be displayed in a conspicuous location informing all employees of their rights in the case of injury or occupational disease in the course of employment.
• Connecticut Electronic Monitoring Poster: This poster must be displayed in a conspicuous location for all employees to see regarding electronic monitoring.
• Connecticut Office of the Healthcare Advocate Poster: Per Connecticut Statute 38a-1046, employers must post the Healthcare Advocate's poster in the workplace in a conspicuous location.

The US Department of Labor provides free electronic and printed copies of its required posters through its elaws Poster Advisor and the Connecticut Department of Labor provides state posters. Additional posters may be required for mercantile and retail, restaurant and food service, agricultural, construction, and federal employers.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions.

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