labor lawAdivision of labor law center

It’s important that employers order their 2008 Alaska labor law posters soon. Both state and federal law require that the updated posters be displayed.

During 2007 many changes occurred to labor laws. As 2007 comes to an end, employers will need to update their labor law posters. Alaska employers are affected by these changes, and need to be aware of them.

Under state law, the officially required 2008 Alaska labor law posters are:

• Minimum Wage
• OSHA - Health and Safety Protection
• Unemployment Insurance
• Workers’ Compensation Insurance
• Sexual Harassment
• Emergency Information
• Child Labor

By law every Alaska employer is required to display these posters.

In addition, under federal law, employers must display these posters:

• USERRA - Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act
• Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law
• Federal Minimum Wage
• Employee Polygraph Protection Act
• Family and Medical Leave Act
• OSHA-Job Safety & Health Protection

A large number of changes over the year influenced the poster requirements. The Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 increased the federal minimum wage for the first time in close to a decade. Seventy cents was added to $5.15 to raise the minimum to $5.85 per hour. A number of states that connect their minimum wages to the federal minimum raised their minimum wages on that day, too.

These states will increase their minimum wage again in 2008 when the federal minimum gets another 70 cent boost. On July 24, 2008, the federal minimum will go from $5.85 to $6.55. The states that bumped their minimum wage with the previous federal increase will bump their minimum wage again.

Other states across the country enacted an increase to their state minimum wage during 2007. Maine, North Dakota, South Dakota and New Hampshire are among them.

Minimum wage wasn’t the only law that changed during 2007. Two states established new no-smoking bans.

Illinois’s new law banned smoking in almost every work environment, including casinos, restaurants and bars. In Ohio, a tough new ban on smoking at work was also enacted. Businesses were then required to post new no-smoking signs at all entrances.

Alaska amended its Child Labor Laws regarding the buying and selling of cigarettes. The law already prohibited anyone under the age of 19 from buying cigarettes, but concern arose regarding teens working in gas stations and convenience stores that sell cigarettes. Part of the concern was that these teens when unsupervised might sell cigarettes to friends who were underage. The law was changed, therefore, to also prohibit anyone under the age of 19 from selling cigarettes.

All of the changes that occurred during 2007, and those slated to occur in 2008 will require employers to update their labor law posters. If the posters are not updated, the employer could be fined.

More than a dozen states will increase their minimum wages on January 1, 2008. These include Delaware, Oregon, Washington, California, Florida, Iowa, New Mexico, Massachusetts, Vermont, Colorado, Arizona, Missouri, Montanan and Ohio. The lowest rate to be increased is in Montana, where the state minimum wage will increase from $6.15 per hour to $6.26. In Missouri and New Mexico, the state rate will go to $6.50.

After the increase, the nation’s highest minimum wage will be in Washington state, where the minimum wage will be $8.07 per hour. Both California and Massachusetts plan increases to $8.00 per hour, while the state rate in Oregon goes to $7.95.

Both state and federal law require that every employer prominently display the posters in an area where they can been seen by every employee. Popular locations are a bulletin board, near the time clock or in the break room.

The most common reason for employers to update posters includes statute changes, especially to minimum wage laws. In just the past few months, employers in New Hampshire, Nevada and Maine have updated their labor law posters as the state minimum wages changed. The most recent increase was on October 1, 2007 when the New Hampshire minimum wage increased to $6.50 per hour.

As an employer in Alaska, you need to help keep your employees aware of their rights when it comes to labor laws and the best way to do this is to keep an updated Alaska poster of the labor laws posted in a visible area in the workplace.  This area can be an employee workroom or break room or any where else your employees might congregate or at least visit on a regular basis.

The Alaska posters are great for your employees because it helps them stay aware of their rights, but they are also very helpful for you because you can use them as a quick reference to help you know what your responsibilities are when it comes to labor laws in Alaska.  By displaying Alaska posters and keeping them current, everyone in the workplace will know what they are expected to do and not to do when it comes to Alaska labor laws.

Alaska posters should show the state laws including those involving minimum wage, OSHA – Health and Safety Protection, unemployment insurance, workers’ compensation insurance, sexual harassment, emergency information and child labor.  Federal laws that need to be highlighted on Alaska posters are USERRA – Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law, Federal Minimum Wage, Employee Polygraph Protection Act, Family and Medical Leave Act and OSHA – Job Safety and Health Protection.

Labor laws change often and that includes the laws in Alaska.  If you already have posters in your workplace, you need to check them to make sure they are current since current Alaska posters help protect you and your employees as well as to give you and your employees the necessary protocol if there is a problem in the workplace as outlined by these laws.  Besides, it’s against the law to either not have Alaska posters or to have outdated posters posted in your workplace. 

Labor law posters for Alaska must be posted in workplaces throughout Alaska. These posters inform employees of all their rights and protections granted by both federal and state laws. These posters must be placed in an area where all employees have a good chance of seeing them.

There are four mandatory state topics that must be covered on the labor law posters for Alaska and one topic that is optional. The optional topic is the Summary for Alaska Child Labor Law. This topic provides information about the work restrictions and allowable hiring practices for minors. The other four topics that must be covered are the Summary of Alaska Wage and Hour Act, Emergency Information, It’s Your Right To Know – Safety and Health Protection on the Job, and Notice to Employees – Unemployment Insurance.

The federal government requires that eight topics be covered on the labor law posters for Alaska. The eight topics are the Employee Polygraph Protection Act, Federal Minimum Wage, an employee’s rights under The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, Employer’s Notice of Insurance, Employee’s right to work in a safe and healthy environment, Equal Employment Opportunity, The Alaska human rights law and federal law against sexual harassment, and The Uniformed Services and Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).  

There are protocols in place to aid any worker who is not provided with the protections guaranteed on the labor law posters for Alaska. These labor law posters for Alaska also have the necessary information about what an employee, who is denied a right or protection, can do.

All of the above state and federal topics are required to be covered on labor law posters for Alaska. The posters must contain the most up to date information that is available. Failure by an employer to display the most current information in the appropriate areas is against the law.

With Alaska’s recent increase in funding for youth training, now is a great time for all employers to make sure that their employment posters are up-to-date by signing up with a service that can provide labor law posters for Alaska. The Alaska Department of Labor & Workforce Development’s Division of Business Partnerships is accepting proposals for a $1.25 million program to provide employment and training for youths ages 14-21 under Title IB of the Workforce Investment Act. The initiative is spearheaded by Margaret Webb, Special Assistant for Communications.

According to Greg O’Claray, of the Alaska Department of Labor & Workforce Development, “We want to fund programs that will help prepare Alaska’s youth for good jobs, particularly those in the high-growth oil, gas and mining industries. We want them to be aware of their options and give them every opportunity for careers in Alaska’s top fields.” As the program goes into action, more young people will undoubtedly enter the workforce. This makes it imperative that employers comply with mandatory and recommended posting regulations.

Now is the perfect time to update your Alaska Complete Labor Law Poster. This great service provides accurate, newly updated posters on each of the topics mandated by the State of Alaska, including Minimum Wage and Overtime, Safety& Health Protection on the Job, Unemployment Insurance, and 3 Workers’ Compensation Posters. In addition, all employers of youths under 18 are required to prominently display a Child Labor Law Poster. The Child Labor Law-Net Fishing Requirements poster is highly recommended for those with employees under 18.

Services that provide labor law posters for Alaska ensure that employers are meeting federal and state regulations by having current posters on display in a conspicuous place at the job site. Both federal and state laws make various posters mandatory. To ensure that every employee sees them, a popular location is the employee break area. Sometimes the posters are displayed near the time clock or in another “employees only” area for maximum visibility. The posters inform employers and employees of their rights and responsibilities under the law.

The Alaska Complete Labor Law poster also provides the labor posters required by the federal government, including the USERRA – Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law, Federal Minimum Wage, Employee Polygraph Protection Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, and OSHA – Job Safety and Health Protection Posters.

Alaska’s Employment Labor Posters are designed for use in the workplace. Employers are required to post them conspicuously so that every employee has an opportunity to review the employment laws. The state of Alaska requires that the newest Employment Labor Posters be used so that all the laws listed on them are up-to-date. So it is very important for employers to check back with us often; we will keep you informed of updates and changes to Alaska Employment Labor Posters. State laws that are listed on Alaska’s Employment Labor Posters include Minimum Wage, OSHA-Health and Safety Protection, Unemployment Insurance, Workers’ Compensation Insurance, Sexual Harassment, Emergency Information, and Child Labor. The Federal laws listed on the poster include USERRA - Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law, Federal Minimum Wage, Employee Polygraph Protection Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, and OSHA-Job Safety & Health Protection. The information on the Labor Posters tells what the employees’ rights are and instructs them how to report violations and how to contact the Department of Labor if they have questions.
 

It is important to note that The Alaska Workers’ Compensation Act requires that each employer shall post a notice of insurance coverage in “three conspicuous places”.
 

A few items pertaining to these posters are worthy of mention. First, Alaska’s minimum wage, at $7.15, is higher than the Federal minimum wage, which is currently $5.15. Also, the USERRA was changed effective in January 2006 in order to better protect members of the armed forces, so employers should be sure they have the most up to date poster. Employers are required to provide a notice of the rights, benefits and obligations to people who are entitled to the rights and benefits under USERRA. They can utilize mailing of the new notice or email as well as updating their Alaska Employment Labor posters.