Health Posters: What Employers Must Post to Support Workplace Health & Stay Compliant
If you’re searching for health posters, you’re likely trying to answer a practical question: What workplace health notices are we required to display—and how do we do it correctly, especially with remote or multi-site teams? This guide explains what a health poster typically covers, which laws commonly trigger posting requirements, and how SwiftSDS helps you manage digital labor law posters without missing updates.
What “Health Posters” Means in Labor Law Compliance
In a compliance context, health posters are workplace notices that inform employees about health, safety, and related rights. They often include required postings tied to:
- Workplace safety rules and injury reporting
- Wage-and-hour rights that impact well-being (breaks, minimum wage, overtime)
- Anti-discrimination protections (including disability accommodations)
- State programs like workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance
These posters may be required by federal agencies (e.g., the U.S. Department of Labor) and state agencies (e.g., departments of labor, industrial accidents boards, human rights commissions).
Because posting rules vary by jurisdiction and workforce type, it helps to start with SwiftSDS’s overview of Electronic posters to understand how digital labor law posters fit into modern workplaces.
Why Health Posters Matter (Beyond “Checking the Box”)
Health posters serve two purposes:
- Legal notice: Many labor statutes require employers to “post and keep posted” notices where employees can readily see them.
- Risk reduction: Clear, accessible postings reduce misunderstandings about rights and procedures (injury reporting, leave, wage complaints), which can reduce disputes and investigations.
For HR teams, missing a posting requirement can create avoidable exposure during audits, agency visits, or employee complaints—especially when posters must be updated after legislative or regulatory changes.
Common Compliance Areas Covered by Health Posters
Workplace Safety & Health (State and Federal Overlap)
Workplace safety is governed primarily by OSHA at the federal level, but several states also impose their own public-sector or state-specific posting requirements.
Example (Massachusetts public employees): Massachusetts requires a workplace safety notice for public employees. If applicable to your organization, ensure the required notice is displayed: Massachusetts Workplace Safety and Health Protection for Public Employees.
Actionable tip:
Create a posting inventory by worksite and employee type (private vs. public sector). Safety posting rules often differ based on that classification.
Wage & Hour Notices That Affect Employee Health and Well-Being
While wage notices aren’t “health” posters in the medical sense, they directly impact employee well-being and are frequently grouped in compliance poster sets.
At the federal level, many employers must post an FLSA notice (minimum wage, overtime, child labor rules). A commonly used federal notice is:
Spanish-language versions may also be appropriate depending on your workforce and location:
State example (Massachusetts): Massachusetts employers commonly must post state wage-and-hour information:
Actionable tip:
Audit where posters are displayed and whether language access is needed. If you have multilingual teams, you may need additional translations to ensure the notice is meaningful.
Anti-Discrimination & Disability Access (Often Considered “Workplace Health” in Practice)
Employee health is closely connected to equal employment opportunity and disability accommodation. Employers commonly need postings related to fair employment and discrimination protections.
If your health poster needs include disability-related rights and accommodations, see SwiftSDS’s detailed guide on the ADA poster.
State example (Massachusetts):
Actionable tip:
If your posters are digital, confirm they’re readily accessible to employees (e.g., intranet homepage, HR portal landing page) and that onsite workers still have a visible posting location where required.
Workers’ Compensation, Injury Reporting, and Unemployment Insurance
In many states, posters relating to workplace injuries and benefits are required. These are often viewed as “health posters” because they guide employees on what to do after an injury and how benefits work.
Examples (Massachusetts):
- Workers’ comp–related notice: Notice to Employees
- Unemployment insurance notice: Information about Employees' Unemployment Insurance Coverage
Actionable tip:
Tie posters to your incident response process. If the poster lists a claims administrator or reporting channel, ensure it matches your internal policies and contacts.
Location-Specific Requirements: Start With Jurisdiction Pages
Posting requirements are highly state-specific (and sometimes city-specific). If you operate in multiple states, you should track compliance by jurisdiction.
Use SwiftSDS jurisdiction pages to confirm what applies to each location:
- Federal (United States) Posting Requirements
- California (CA) Posting Requirements
- Illinois (IL) Posting Requirements
- Ohio (OH) Labor Law Posting Requirements
- New York (NY) Posting Requirements
If you’re dealing with California’s unique rules around workforce communications, you may also want SwiftSDS’s explainer on are employers required to post job openings california—not a “health poster” topic, but often part of the same compliance workflow for HR.
Digital Health Posters: How to Display Them Correctly
Digital labor law posters can be a strong fit for remote teams, distributed worksites, and fast-changing regulations. But you still need to meet the core standard: employees must have ready access.
Practical display checklist (actionable)
For onsite employees
- Post in a common area employees frequent (breakroom, near time clocks, HR bulletin boards).
- Ensure the poster is readable (size, resolution, lighting).
- Keep a version-controlled record of what was posted and when.
For remote employees
- Provide posters in a single, easy-to-find portal (HRIS, intranet, onboarding checklist).
- Do not bury posters in a deep folder path.
- Confirm employees can access without special permissions or VPN barriers.
To see what compliant digital posting can look like in practice, review electronic poster examples.
Avoiding Common Mistakes (And Scams) When Buying Health Posters
Because “labor law posters” are a common compliance purchase, employers are also targeted by misleading solicitations.
If you’ve received an urgent mailer demanding payment for “mandatory health posters,” read SwiftSDS’s overview of the business posting department scam to help your team validate vendors before paying.
Also note: “health posters” sometimes gets confused with general workplace messaging. If you’re designing internal wellness communications, SwiftSDS has guidance on using posters responsibly in the workplace through advertising posters—helpful for separating required legal notices from optional awareness posters.
Keeping Health Posters Updated Without постоян Fire Drills
Regulatory updates can require new versions of notices. A strong process includes:
- Ownership: Assign poster compliance to a role (HR Ops, Compliance, or Facilities) with a backup owner.
- Calendar controls: Set quarterly checks for federal/state updates even if you use a poster service.
- New hire + new location trigger: Any new worksite opening, acquisition, or remote hiring in a new state should trigger a posting review.
- Budget controls: Standardize purchasing so sites don’t buy inconsistent sets (or fall for solicitations). If you maintain a consolidated solution, you may benefit from centralized ordering—SwiftSDS also maintains guidance like the all in one poster coupon code page for organizations evaluating poster bundles.
FAQ: Health Posters
Are health posters legally required for every business?
Many employers are required to post certain workplace notices, but requirements vary by industry, employee count, and jurisdiction. Start with Federal (United States) Posting Requirements and then confirm your state-specific rules.
Can I use a digital health poster instead of printing it?
Often, digital posters can work—especially for remote employees—but you must ensure employees have ready access. Some rules still expect physical posting for onsite staff. Review SwiftSDS’s Electronic posters guidance and maintain a dual approach when necessary.
What’s the biggest compliance risk with health posters?
The most common risks are outdated posters, missing state-specific notices, and inaccessible postings (employees can’t reasonably find or view them). Use jurisdiction pages (e.g., California (CA) Posting Requirements) and keep a documented update process.
If you want, tell me your state(s), employee type (onsite/remote/hybrid), and industry, and I can outline the typical “health poster” set employers in those jurisdictions commonly need to review.