labor lawAdivision of labor law center

Every North Carolina employer needs to understand that in 2007 a number of changes to the labor laws were made. In 2007, for the first time in ten years, the federal minimum wage was increased from $5.15 to $5.85 per hour as a result of the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007. At least ten states increased their state minimum wage on the same day.

These changes mean that employers must update their 2008 North Carolina Labor law posters.

The North Carolina Labor Law Posters that every employer is required to display are:

• Unemployment Insurance 
• OSHA - Safety and Health Protection 
• Wage and Hour Act 
• Workers’ Compensation

In addition, North Carolina employers are required to display the following posters by federal law:

• 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

Another increase will occur on July 24, 2008, raising the federal minimum wage from $5.85 to $6.55 per hour. Again, the states that tie their minimum wage to the federal rate will bump their state minimum wages, too.

The 2008 Connecticut labor law posters required by state law are:

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.

The New Year will bring more changes which will require employers to change labor law posters. Restaurants, bars and casinos and practically every other work environment in Illinois will enact a tough new law banning smoking.

Also, during the 2007, several other states, including Utah, Washington, Oregon, and West Virginia increased their state minimum wage. 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.

2007 also saw other changes that required employers to update their labor law posters. Employers in Ohio had to post new no-smoking signs at all entrances as a result of the establishment of tough new ban on smoking in the workplace.

Washington, Oregon, Texas and several other states raised their state minimum wages in 2007.

A change was enacted in Alaska to the state Child Labor Laws regarding the selling of cigarettes. It was already illegal for anyone under the age of 19 to buy cigarettes. This change in the law also made it illegal for anyone under the age of 19 to sell cigarettes. The change resulted from the fear that teens working in gas stations or convenience stores were selling cigarettes to their underage friends.

As a result of these changes, companies need to take the time to update their labor law posters by the end of this year. Failure to update the posters with the new information can result in a fine for the employer.

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.

North Carolina requires that all work places post a North Carolina State Mandatory Poster. This is a poster that is used to help both the employee and the employer. It lists the laws that are vital on both parts which play a huge role in helping you the employer. This tool can help you to explain what the laws mean since they will be right their in plain view. It can also help to teach employers about various benefits and responsibilities that they may have. These posters are designed to keep you informed and up to date on the labor laws in North Carolina. They can also be very detrimental if they are not kept up to date.

The North Carolina State Mandatory Poster is something that we are all required to have. Not only are we required to have it. We need to keep it posted where our employees can see it as well as make sure that it is updated with all of the most current information. Labor laws are forever changing in North Carolina and it is your responsibility as an employer to make sure that you are displaying the most current North Carolina State Mandatory Posters. If you do not have the most current posters up the labor board will fine you and possibly even more depending on what other violations that they may find. It is up to you to keep this updated and posted however.

In the state of North Carolina they have a list of what needs to be out on the North Carolina State Mandatory Poster. The items that are required to be placed on the poster are; unemployment insurance, OSHA, the Wage and Hour Act and Worker’s Compensation. These items are all required to be on your poster in order to be in compliance. Not only do they need to be present but these items need to be the most current versions in order for you to be able to avoid any fines from the state. So be aware and have the most current poster up and available.

In reviewing state employment laws, I noticed that North Carolina (NC) has been very busy changing its Employment Labor Posters recently. Every state has employment labor laws that have to be posted in the workplace. This is mandated by both the Federal government and the state Department of Labor.
In North Carolina, the Federal Employment Labor Posters that are required 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.
Additionally, the state of North Carolina has its own requirements. These posters are: Unemployment Insurance, OSHA - Safety and Health Protection, Wage and Hour Act, and Workers’ Compensation.
As I said, the state of North Carolina has been very busy with their Employment Labor posters, and there are a number of changes you should be aware of. Your employer should have already posted these new items, because every employer has to replace their posters each time the labor laws change—which can be fairly often. These are updates that make your 2004 posters obsolete.

I’ll just summarize some of the changes in 2006. This is by no means a complete list, it’s just to remind you of the changes. Those have been to the Fair Employment poster – this one tells the employees which department will actually protect them under the employer retaliation Act, and the Right to Work information describing the state’s right-to-work status was added. Also the Wage and Hour Act underwent several changes. One change is in regard to employers withholding or diverting employee wages, one is related to promised wages, and some minor changes were made concerning youth employment. The OSHA poster has been changed because the Safety and Health review board changed its name to the NC Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

We’re back on the North Carolina and Federal Labor Law Poster again. Now, you might want to ask me: Haven’t we covered this topic before? Well, my careful and loyal reader, that question shows that you have been paying attention to some of my blogs, and have noticed that I have covered the North Carolina and Federal Labor Law Poster before.

However, I don’t mean to test you, Rather, I’m more concerned about the readers here—and I won’t name names—who maybe haven’t been paying close enough attention as they should. Or for no fault of their own, have just arrived at this site and this is their first exposure to the North Carolina and Federal Labor Law Poster.

At the heart of the North Carolina and Federal Labor Law Poster is the six federal postings that are mandatory in the state, as well as many other states. These six postings in the North Carolina And Federal Labor Law Poster include the federal minimum wage posting, the USERRA posting for military duty, the equal employment opportunity posting, the lie detector test, or polygraph protection, posting, the OSHA posting for workplace safety and health, and the Family and Medical Leave Act posting for personal and health leave time.

What sets the North Carolina And Federal Labor Law Poster apart from other state labor law posters, though, are not these six federal postings—but rather the four state postings in the North Carolina And Federal Labor Law Poster that are unique to the state of North Carolina.

These four state postings include the: worker’s compensation posting, the OSHA safety and workplace posting, the wage and hour act posting, and the unemployment insurance posting. These four postings, in the format found on the North Carolina and Federal Labor Law Poster, cannot be located on any other state poster for employment law.

I didn’t find it too difficult to find the child labor laws for the state of North Carolina. They are extensive, but much like the child labor laws which have been passed in several of the other states. In this state, it is required that employers post the North Carolina Child Labor Law posters in a location where all employees have access to them. For this reason, many employers post their North Carolina Child Labor Law posters in locations like the break room, work areas, and around the time clock.

I found that North Carolina adopts their child labor laws straight from the federal government for 14 and 15 year olds. For those minors 16 and 17, this state adopts federal child labor laws for those working in non-farm jobs.

Just like with the other states, I noticed that the state of North Carolina limits which jobs can be held by minors. Laws prohibit minors from holding jobs that are considered to be hazardous to their health. Some of the jobs that are restricted from being held by minors are – mining, work with explosives, work with radioactive materials, spray painting, welding, and many more.

YECs, or Youth Employment Certificates, are required in the state of North Carolina for any minor under the age of 18. The employer or minor can get this certificate at the local county Department of Social Services. Some schools have the ability to grant these certificates, as well.

I also read about the late night work limitations that are placed on minors under the age of 18 in this state. The law says that anyone enrolled in school in grades twelve or below may not be employed between 11 PM and 5 AM when school is in session the next day. This restriction can be lifted for 16 and 17 year olds under certain circumstances.

I hope you found this broad overview of the child labor laws in North Carolina to be helpful. If you need additional information, you should try to find the North Carolina Child Labor Law Posters. When you need information about both federal and state laws, try finding the North Carolina Complete Labor Law Poster.