Compliance

Marketing posters

January 6, 2026digital-posters

Marketing Posters: How to Promote Your Business Without Missing Labor Law Posting Requirements

If you’re searching for marketing posters (or a single marketing poster) you likely want eye-catching visuals that drive sales—without creating confusion or compliance risk in the workplace. For HR teams and business owners, the key is balancing promotional messaging with the legally required labor law notices employees must be able to find, read, and access (including remote workers). This guide explains how to use marketing posters effectively while keeping your labor law posting program clean, compliant, and audit-ready.

What “marketing posters” mean in a workplace (and why compliance matters)

A marketing poster is typically any promotional sign used to influence customer or employee behavior—announcing offers, reinforcing brand values, recruiting, or communicating internal initiatives. In workplaces, these posters often share wall space (or digital signage space) with mandatory labor law postings required by federal, state, and sometimes local agencies.

Why it matters: labor law posting rules generally require that certain notices be displayed conspicuously, in a place employees can readily see them. Overcrowding a bulletin board with marketing materials can unintentionally make required notices harder to locate—creating compliance risk.

For background on how digital compliance posting works, see SwiftSDS’s hub on Electronic posters and the deeper overview on Labor law poster.

Where marketing posters fit: separate “promotion” from “posting obligations”

Create clear zones: marketing vs. compliance

A best practice is to create two distinct “zones”:

  • Compliance Zone: Reserved for mandated labor law posters (physical board and/or a digital compliance feed employees can access).
  • Marketing Zone: Reserved for promotions, branding, recruiting, culture campaigns, and operational reminders.

This separation helps ensure the required postings remain unobstructed and conspicuous, a common standard across many posting rules. It also reduces the chance that a well-meaning manager replaces a required notice with a seasonal marketing poster.

If you’re developing posters that are meant to inform employees (not customers), SwiftSDS’s guidance on advertising posters is a helpful companion, especially when those “advertising-style” designs share space with compliance notices.

Digital signage and remote employees: don’t assume a lobby screen is enough

Many businesses use digital displays for marketing posters in break rooms, lobbies, or warehouses. That’s fine for promotions—but for legal notices, you must ensure employees have access consistent with the governing requirements (often “conspicuous” for on-site staff, and accessible for remote workers).

SwiftSDS focuses on digital labor law posters that help teams manage these access expectations across worksites and remote populations. Examples and display patterns are shown in Electronic poster examples.

Compliance requirements you should not “bury” under marketing posters

Marketing posters are optional; labor law notices are not. The list varies by workforce, industry, and jurisdiction, but HR teams should treat the following as foundational.

Federal notices (United States): FLSA and more

Most employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act must post a wage and hour notice. The U.S. Department of Labor provides FLSA posters tailored by workforce type. For example:

For a broader checklist of common federal posting obligations, start with Federal (United States) Posting Requirements.

State and local requirements: the hidden risk for multi-site teams

States often require additional postings (wage orders, anti-discrimination notices, leave rights, unemployment, safety, and more). Some counties/cities add local notices, too.

The key operational takeaway: a marketing poster rollout is often centralized, but labor law posting is location-specific. Treat them as separate workflows.

Example: Massachusetts notices you should keep prominent

If you have Massachusetts employees, you may need multiple Massachusetts-specific notices that should remain highly visible and up to date, such as:

A practical rule: marketing posters should never cover, crowd out, or replace any required notice—especially during refresh cycles when agencies update forms.

Actionable best practices for using marketing posters while staying compliant

1) Build a “poster governance” checklist for managers

Give site managers a simple checklist that answers:

  • Where do required notices live (board location or digital portal)?
  • Who can change that area?
  • How are updates handled?
  • What is the escalation path if a poster looks outdated or damaged?

If you’re concerned about misleading vendors and questionable solicitations, SwiftSDS also covers red flags in business posting department scam.

2) Use ADA-friendly design and placement principles

Even if your marketing poster is not legally required, accessible communication reduces risk and improves reach. Consider font size, contrast, glare, and mounting height—especially in employee common areas.

For accessibility considerations relevant to workplace posting, see ada poster.

3) Keep compliance posters “static,” rotate marketing posters “dynamic”

A clean operational model:

  • Compliance posters: stable set, replaced only when legally updated
  • Marketing posters: rotated on a schedule (weekly/monthly/seasonal)

This reduces accidental removal of required notices during promo refreshes.

4) Document digital access for remote and hybrid teams

If you have remote employees, ensure required postings are available through an internal portal or digital solution they can access without friction (e.g., SSO-enabled HR system, intranet link, or compliance platform). Maintain records of:

  • what posters were available,
  • for which jurisdictions,
  • and when updates were deployed.

5) Don’t confuse “job posting” requirements with marketing

A “we’re hiring” marketing poster is not the same as any legal requirement to post openings. Some jurisdictions have specific rules about job posting transparency and notices.

If you operate in California and want clarity, review are employers required to post job openings california.

Common mistakes businesses make with marketing posters

Mixing required notices into promotional design

Employers sometimes reformat required posters to match branding. That can be risky if it alters required language, formatting, or readability. Use official versions when required.

Overcrowding bulletin boards

Even when every required poster is present, stuffing the board with marketing posters can undermine “conspicuous” display. Keep compliance postings uncluttered and easy to scan.

Missing local rules

A corporate-approved marketing poster may be universal, but compliance postings are not. Always confirm the correct set by location—start with the relevant jurisdiction page (e.g., California (CA) Posting Requirements or New York (NY) Posting Requirements).

FAQ: Marketing posters and labor law compliance

Are marketing posters required by law?

Generally, no. Marketing posters are optional promotional materials. By contrast, labor law posters (wage and hour, anti-discrimination, safety, leave, unemployment, etc.) are often required by federal and state agencies.

Can marketing posters be displayed next to required labor law posters?

Yes, but avoid crowding. Required notices must remain conspicuous, readable, and accessible to employees. A best practice is a dedicated compliance area (physical and/or digital) separate from promotions.

Do remote employees need access to labor law posters?

In many cases, remote workers must be able to access required notices, even if they never visit a physical worksite. Digital labor law posters can help satisfy access expectations and simplify multi-site compliance.

Marketing posters can be a powerful tool for engagement and sales—but they work best when your compliance postings are organized, current, and clearly separated. For a broader view of maintaining a compliant digital posting program, revisit Electronic posters and the foundational guide on Labor law poster.