Businesses Warned of Misleading Labor Law Poster Offers
Clarifying OSHA Poster Compliance Issues
Sunrise, Florida (February 20, 2007) – Small business owners may find themselves bombarded with misleading marketing offers as a result of an updated poster released by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) detailing employee rights. Ashley Kaplan, compliance attorney with G.Neil, the nation’s largest provider of human resources products said, “News like this opens the floodgates from direct mail companies who prey on small business owners’ fears of being out of compliance.”
Typical offers threaten fines up to $17,000 if business owners don’t replace posters even when the previously issued poster is still valid as is the case with the recent OSHA February posting update. “Not all posting changes are mandatory, but some poster sellers deliberately create confusion with phrases such as ‘New for 2007’ to position every change as mandatory,” says Kaplan. “Qualified poster providers employ labor law experts or attorneys to properly interpret and notify business owners only when immediate updates are required.”
A business owner with the know-how and time could get all the appropriate posters free of charge direct from government agencies. However, since an owner is required to keep track of anywhere from seven to 16 federal and state postings put out by as many as nine agencies, business owners seeking a hassle-free solution often turn to third-parties to save time and manage the process cost-effectively.
“Outsourcing to an honest partner that updates you only on the changes you need and keeps its promises is the most practical way to eliminate your posting compliance risks,” said Kaplan.
To avoid being taken in by deceptive marketing tactics, Kaplan suggests taking the following steps before choosing a labor law poster provider:
· Check with the issuing agency to verify that any changes presented as “Mandatory” or “New for 2007” truly require immediate updating.
· Verify whether posters meet exact agency specifications for font size, poster size, color and layout.
· 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.
· Check with the Better Business Bureau to ensure the seller has a satisfactory rating.
Kaplan noted that G.Neil developed its Poster Guard Compliance Protection product with business owners’ input and needs in mind. “Our staff of attorneys keeps pace with continually changing labor law requirements, eliminating employers’ posting compliance headaches,” said Kaplan. For a small annual fee, businesses are alerted when any change occurs and are automatically sent updated posters when required. Poster Guard Compliance Protection also guarantees against agency fines, delivers poster updates within 30 days of law changes, and ensures business owners never have to worry about posting compliance again.
Source: gNeil
