Businesses Warned of Family and Medical Leave Act Poster Compliance Issues
SUNRISE, Fla. (February 08, 2008) – A recent expansion of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) means business owners will soon see offers, many of them misleading, from labor poster companies seeking to capitalize on the change. The government has stated that a posting change will be required, but has not determined whether that means a new poster or adding a supplement. The new law expands the FMLA by allowing family members of military personnel to take up to 26 weeks of unpaid leave to care for service members suffering from serious injury or illness.
New federal labor law posting requirements often open the floodgates for fly-by-night poster sellers who go into business just to make a profit on this one change, and then disappear. Many poster sellers are falsely claiming the FMLA posting change is required for all businesses, regardless of size. However, for private companies the poster is required only if the business has 50 or more employees.
What’s more, these inexperienced poster companies promise compliance but don’t always deliver on that promise. “Complying with labor law posting regulations requires understanding the nuances of the laws, and that often calls for interpretation by an attorney,” said Ashley Kaplan, compliance attorney for G.Neil, which offers Poster Guard Compliance Protection, a posting service that guarantees businesses are up-to-date with labor law compliance. “Qualified poster providers employ labor law attorneys to properly interpret every regulatory change and make sure the posters they sell are 100% compliant at all times. Typical offers prey on business owners’ fears of being out of compliance and threaten fines up to $17,000.”
A business owner with the know-how and time could get all the appropriate posters free of charge direct from government agencies. However, rather than keep track of up to 16 federal and state postings issued by up to seven different agencies, business owners seeking a hassle-free solution often turn to third-parties to save time and manage the process cost-effectively. Some companies like G.Neil offer to manage the process for you for a small annual fee and will automatically update your postings whenever required by a government agency.
Businesses should be careful to select a reliable poster provider when updating their FMLA poster in order to be compliant with the new law. “Outsourcing to an honest partner that guarantees compliance on all their posters and keeps its service and delivery promises is the most practical way to eliminate your posting compliance risks,” said Kaplan.
Kaplan suggests taking the following steps before choosing a labor law poster provider:
1. Verify whether posters meet exact agency specifications for font size, poster size, color and layout.
2. Confirm with the seller that the people who monitor changes are labor law experts and attorneys qualified to interpret the posting requirements and ensure any changes are properly communicated.
3. Check with the Better Business Bureau to ensure the seller has a satisfactory rating.
Businesses can ensure they are in compliance with all federal and state labor law poster requirements by visiting http://www.freeposteraudit.com.
Source: gNeil
