| If you run a business and have employees, there are a | | | | recipient company into the letter and using text in the |
| slew of federal and state labor law notices you're | | | | letter such as a Notice Number, Reference Number, |
| required to post where employees can see them | | | | and a Reply By date designed to make recipients think |
| each day. These are often called labor law posters, or | | | | the mail is somehow an official warning. |
| compliance posters. They include things like minimum | | | | If your business gets a notice like that, take the time to |
| wage laws, the federal USERRA, non-discrimination | | | | look at who it really comes from. If you see the words |
| notices, and more. | | | | poster service, or compliance service, or if you see an |
| Keeping up with everything that ought to be posted | | | | out-of-state address, you can be sure the |
| and making sure that the most current notices are | | | | official-looking "Notice" is just a sales letter. Another |
| posted in the workplace can be a real chore for big | | | | dead giveaway: the letter will tell you how to order |
| and small businesses alike. What's more, posting a | | | | labor law posters from a private company. |
| collection of paper notices can make your office look | | | | If you're unsure when labor law notices you need to |
| messy. | | | | post were last changed, check with the US |
| To solve the problem, a number of companies sell | | | | Department of Labor and your state labor department |
| labor law posters that combine all the state and | | | | to find out if there have been any changes in required |
| federal regulations on one or two posters. The | | | | postings. Remember, too, that no matter what the |
| posters, in general, are a good thing. They tidy up | | | | labor law poster companies tell you, you don't need to |
| offices and help businesses stay in compliance with | | | | buy a new poster just because it's a new year. You |
| labor laws. | | | | only need to replace your posters when the state or |
| But unfortunately, some of the companies that market | | | | federal laws listed on them change. For a list of the |
| labor law posters by mail use hard-sell marketing | | | | latest changes in state and federal labor law posters |
| tactics to get you to replace your labor law posters | | | | see |
| before you really need to. In fact, some of the | | | | © 2008 Attard Communications, Inc. Janet Attard is |
| marketing materials that get sent in mail seem | | | | the founder and CEO of Business Know-How, a |
| somewhat misleading and deceptive. | | | | popular small business website that has been providing |
| One ploy that's been used in various parts of the | | | | information and resources to businesses for 20 years. |
| country is a mailing that has the word FINAL NOTICE | | | | is a source for labor law posters and safety posters. |
| in all capital letters on the top of the page of an | | | | The website also provides a wealth of ideas, tips and |
| official-looking document. Below the "Final Notice" | | | | hints for marketing and managing small businesses. |
| headline was text stating that the employer must | | | | Subscribe to the Business Know-How newsletter at |
| comply with the new labor posting requirements and | | | | Online reprints of this article must include the author's |
| that failure to do so could lead to government fines of | | | | byline, copyright and resource box. You must get |
| up to $17,000 and other possible dire consequences. | | | | permission from the author to reproduce the article in |
| Other tactics include mail-merging the name of the | | | | print publications. |