If you rely on your workers’ comp insurance provider for labor law posters, you could be setting your organization up for a costly mistake. Many carriers offer a few basic notices at no cost, but they don’t cover the full range of federal, state and local requirements. That gap exposes businesses to significant poster compliance risks and fines — including government penalties and increased legal liability.
Are Free Labor Law Posters Compliant? Typically, No
In most cases, workers’ comp providers:
- Offer only a handful of federal postings, such as the OSHA safety notice
- Do not supply required state or local postings
- Do not automatically replace outdated posters when mandatory updates occur
Contrary to popular belief, there’s no single source for free government posters.
To stay fully compliant with the latest federal, state and local posting requirements, you need more than what workers’ comp providers or government agencies can supply. Agencies don’t coordinate with one another, and no centralized resource exists for every required notice. Consider the scope:
- About 175 federal and state agencies issue more than 500 posters
- A single state may require up to 26 postings from as many as nine different agencies
- Roughly 22,000 local jurisdictions can issue their own posting mandates
- Additional postings may apply to specific industries or government contractors
Labor law posting compliance is highly complex and constantly evolving. Most workers’ comp carriers simply aren’t equipped to research, track and fulfill every requirement — especially across multiple jurisdictions.
Why Posting Compliance Matters
When required postings are missing or outdated, your company faces the risk of government fines. But the consequences can reach much further.
Incomplete postings can extend the statute of limitations in employee disputes, allowing claims to proceed that otherwise could have been dismissed as untimely. You may also face accusations of “bad faith” for failing to meet your legal obligations — a finding that can increase damages in an employee lawsuit or eliminate the possibility of a good-faith defense.
Protect Your Business with Complete Posting Coverage
Poster Guard® Poster Compliance Service ensures every posting requirement is addressed — regardless of how or where your team works. From core posters to industry-specific postings, multilingual options, applicant-area postings and remote-worker coverage, our service guarantees 100% compliance. The base service offers complete, year-round protection across federal, state, county and city requirements, with automatic updates whenever the laws change.
