iOn October 19, 2022, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released an updated “Know Your Rights” poster, replacing the previous “EEO is the Law” poster. Federal law requires all covered employers to prominently display updated posters at their workplaces. Employers should take this time and check to see if the EEOC posters placed or distributed in their workplaces are the most recent versions.
This newest “Know Your Rights” poster still informs employees about workplace discrimination based on protected categories, with the following changes:
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clarification that sex discrimination includes discrimination based on pregnancy and related conditions, sexual orientation, or gender identity;
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a note that harassment is a prohibited form of discrimination;
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information about equal pay discrimination for federal contractors;
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a QR code for fast digital access to the EEOC’s “how to file a charge” webpage; and
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use of more straightforward language and formatting in the form of bullet points.
As a reminder, employers may be required to post many types of notices in the workplace alerting employees to such laws as the Fair Labor Standard Act and state and federal minimum wage requirements, the Family Medical Leave Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Employee Polygraph Protection Act, the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, and the Immigration and Nationality Act, to name just a few. Additionally, not all employers are covered by each of these laws, so employers should identify which requirements apply. Posting requirements vary depending on factors including nature and location of business, number of employees, annual dollar volume, and whether the organization has federal or state contracts or subcontracts.
