California Labor Law Poster Requirements: State, Federal, and Remote

California labor law poster requirements obligate every employer in the state to display a specific set of state and federal workplace notices where employees can easily read them during the workday. The list covers the $16.90 minimum wage, wage orders, paid sick leave, whistleblower protections, discrimination and harassment rules, workers’ compensation coverage, Cal/OSHA safety rules, and several federal notices layered on top. Missing or outdated posters can trigger per-violation fines and weaken your position if a worker later files a claim.

The State Posters You Must Display

California requires more workplace postings than most states. Unless noted, every employer needs all of the following:

The current Minimum Wage order, reflecting $16.90 per hour as of January 1, 2026.¹
The Industrial Welfare Commission wage order for your industry, covering overtime, meal and rest breaks, and reporting time pay. Labor Code Section 1183 requires this to be posted in a conspicuous location frequented by employees.²
The Paid Sick Leave notice explaining accrual, request, and use of paid sick days under Labor Code Section 247.³
A Payday Notice stating your regular paydays and the time and place of payment, required by Labor Code Section 207. You fill in the specifics before posting.⁴
The Whistleblower Protections notice, which Labor Code Section 1102.8 requires be in lettering larger than 14-point type and include the Attorney General’s whistleblower hotline number.⁵
The Discrimination and Harassment poster required by Government Code Section 12950, covering sexual harassment and transgender rights. The California Civil Rights Department publishes the official version.⁶
The Workers’ Compensation notice identifying your carrier or your self-insured status, required by Labor Code Section 3550. Your insurance carrier provides this poster.⁷
The Cal/OSHA Safety and Health Protection on the Job poster, which is separate from the federal OSHA notice and required under Labor Code Section 6328.⁸
Starting in 2026, a California Workplace — Know Your Rights notice must be provided to employees on or before February 1 each year.⁷

One more state item runs on an annual schedule: the Cal/OSHA Form 300A summary of workplace injuries and illnesses must be posted throughout February.⁷

The Federal Posters Layered on Top

Federal requirements sit on top of the state list. Some apply to every employer; others depend on headcount.

The Fair Labor Standards Act notice covering federal minimum wage, overtime, and child labor protections, required for every employer with covered workers under 29 CFR Part 516.⁹
The Family and Medical Leave Act poster, required for private-sector employers with 50 or more employees in 20 or more workweeks, and for all public agencies and schools regardless of size.¹⁰
The federal OSHA “Job Safety and Health: It’s the Law” poster.¹¹
The EEOC “Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination Is Illegal” notice, required for employers covered by federal anti-discrimination laws.¹²
The USERRA notice for service members’ civilian job protections, required of all employers.¹³
The Employee Polygraph Protection Act notice, required for every employer subject to the EPPA, posted where employees and job applicants can see it.¹⁴

Federal contractors have additional obligations, including notices tied to the National Labor Relations Act, the Davis-Bacon Act for construction contracts over $2,000, and Executive Order 13496 on employee organizing rights. Contract suspension or debarment can follow noncompliance.¹⁵

Language Requirements

English-only posting is not always enough. The California minimum wage poster must appear in both English and Spanish.⁸ The state discrimination and harassment poster carries a stricter trigger: if 10 percent or more of the workforce at a facility speaks a language other than English as their primary language, the notice must also be posted in that language.¹⁶

Most federal DOL posters are only required in English. One notable exception: the FMLA poster must be provided in a language employees can understand when a significant portion of the workforce is not literate in English.¹⁷ The DOL offers free downloads in Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and other languages.¹⁸

Where and How to Post Them

The DIR requires posting “in an area frequented by employees where it may be easily read during the workday.”⁸ Break rooms, lunch areas, and walls near time clocks are the usual choices. The EEOC poster and the California discrimination notice must be visible to both employees and job applicants, so a hiring office or lobby needs its own copy for the applicant-facing requirement.¹⁶

Two posters carry specific physical standards. The California whistleblower notice must use lettering larger than 14-point type.⁵ If you reproduce or print the federal OSHA poster from a download, it must be at least 8½ by 14 inches in 10-point type or larger.¹⁷

Tucking notices behind a locked office door, inside a rarely visited storage room, or in an unused hallway does not satisfy the conspicuous-placement standard. If you operate more than one location, you need a full set at each site.

Remote and Hybrid Workers

Labor Code Section 1207, enacted through Senate Bill 657, lets California employers email required workplace postings to employees as attachments. This is the primary way to reach telecommuters and home-based workers.¹⁹

Email does not replace physical posting at any brick-and-mortar worksite. The electronic option supplements the physical requirement.²⁰ An internal company portal or intranet also works for remote workers, provided all of them have access and know where to find the notices. For fully remote hiring, the DOL recommends a prominent statement on the careers page linking applicants to the required federal posters, though that too does not substitute for physical posting at the employer’s premises.¹⁷

Keeping Posters Current

Posting the right notices once and forgetting about them is one of the most common compliance failures. Several events should send you back to check what is on the wall:

California’s minimum wage adjusts each January 1, and the posted rate must match.
New legislation adds new requirements, like the annual Know Your Rights notice beginning in 2026.
Agencies periodically revise poster text. Some older versions still qualify; the DOL notes that the 2019 federal OSHA poster and the 2013 FMLA poster remain acceptable.²¹
Business changes shift what applies. Crossing 50 employees triggers the FMLA posting requirement. Switching workers’ compensation carriers means swapping in the new carrier’s notice.
The Cal/OSHA Form 300A must go up every February with the prior year’s injury and illness summary.⁷

A yearly review at the start of January, when the minimum wage change lands, catches most updates in one pass.

Getting the Posters

Every required poster is available free from the issuing government agency. The California Department of Industrial Relations lists all state-mandated notices with direct downloads.⁷ The U.S. Department of Labor hosts federal posters and offers a free “elaws Poster Advisor” that identifies which notices apply based on business type and size.²¹

Two posters need details filled in before they count. The payday notice requires your firm name and pay schedule.²² The workers’ compensation notice comes from your insurance carrier and identifies the carrier by name or states that you are self-insured.⁷ Blank or incomplete forms do not satisfy the requirement.

Commercial services sell all-in-one laminated posters and annual update subscriptions, typically $55 to $70 per year. They are convenient but entirely optional. Free downloads from the official agency sites meet every legal obligation.⁸

Penalties for Missing or Outdated Posters

Federal penalties vary by statute. Failing to display the EEOC Know Your Rights poster carries a fine of $680 per violation, adjusted annually for inflation.¹² OSHA can cite employers for missing notices during inspections, and the DOL’s Wage and Hour Division enforces FLSA and FMLA posting.

California penalties come through the Labor Commissioner’s Office and can be assessed per poster and per location. A single inspection that turns up several missing notices can produce multiple separate violations, and the amount depends on the statute involved and any prior history.

The fines are only part of the exposure. If an employee argues they were never informed about paid sick leave, overtime, or anti-retaliation rights, the absence of the required poster undercuts any defense that the worker knew their rights. Skipping the most basic compliance step the law requires is something courts and administrative judges notice.

1
Department of Industrial Relations. Minimum Wage
2
California Legislative Information. California Code, Labor Code LAB 1183 – General Provisions
3
California Legislative Information. California Code Labor Code 247 – Paid Sick Days
4
California Legislative Information. California Code Labor Code 207 – Payment of Wages
5
California Legislative Information. California Code Labor Code 1102.8 – Whistleblower Rights and Responsibilities
6
California Legislative Information. California Code, Government Code GOV 12950 – Harassment or Discrimination
7
Department of Industrial Relations. Required Posters and Notices
8
Department of Industrial Relations. Workplace Postings
9
eCFR. 29 CFR Part 516 – Records to Be Kept by Employers
10
U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet 28D – Employer Notification Requirements Under the Family and Medical Leave Act
11
Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA Cares Job Safety and Health Workplace Poster
12
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Know Your Rights – Workplace Discrimination is Illegal Poster
13
U.S. Department of Labor. Your Rights Under USERRA Poster
14
U.S. Department of Labor. Employee Polygraph Protection Act Poster
15
National Labor Relations Board. Employee Rights Notice Posting
16
California Civil Rights Department. California Law Prohibits Workplace Discrimination and Harassment
17
U.S. Department of Labor. Posters – Frequently Asked Questions
18
U.S. Department of Labor. Workplace Posters
19
California Legislative Information. California Code, Labor Code LAB 1207 – Employment Electronic Documents
20
California Legislative Information. California Code Labor Code 1207 – Employment Electronic Documents
21
U.S. Department of Labor. Workplace Posters
22
Department of Industrial Relations. California Labor Code Payday Notice