A worker’s right to minimum wage, overtime pay and a safe work environment certainly is no secret. In fact, employees should be reminded of these rights every time they enter the workplace or stop by the break room.
Every business needs to conspicuously display employment law posters outlining employee rights.
These notices contain key elements of the Fair Labor Standards Act, Occupational Safety and Health Act and other applicable employment laws. But do you know what these key elements are?
Test yourself to see how well you know the employment law details that are spelled out on federal posters.
1) The federal minimum wage rate of $7.25 per hour has been in effect since:
a) Jan. 1, 1990
b) July 24, 2007
c) Jan. 1, 2009
d) July 24, 2009
2) An employer may be assessed civil money penalties of up to ______ for each willful or repeated violation of federal minimum wage or overtime pay laws.
a) $500
b) $1,100
c) $10,000
d) $50,000
3) Under the Employee Polygraph Protection Act, employers are generally prohibited from requiring an employee to take a:
a) Drug test
b) Breathalyzer test for alcohol
c) Test requiring use of a calculator
d) Lie detector test
4) True or False: An employee may request the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to inspect the workplace if he or she believes unsafe and unhealthful conditions are present.
a) True
b) False
5) Employees can file a complaint with OSHA within _____ days of retaliation by an employer for making safety and health complaints.
a) 10
b) 20
c) 30
d) 100
6) USERRA prohibits employers from discriminating against past and present members of the:
a) Uniformed Services
b) United States
c) United Services
d) U.S. Postal Service
7) Which of the following is not listed on the “Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law” poster?
a) Transgender status
b) Race
c) Color
d) Sex
8) True or False: The Family and Medical Leave Act definitions of “serious injury or illness” for current service members are the same as the FMLA definition of “serious health condition.”
a) True
b) False
Answers:
1) d, July 24, 2009 (found on the FLSA poster)
2) b, $1,100 (FLSA poster)
3) d, Lie detector test (Employee Polygraph Protection Act poster)
4) a, True (OSHA poster)
5) c, 30 days (OSHA poster)
6) a, Uniformed Services (Your Rights Under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act poster)
7) a, Transgender status (EEO is the Law poster)
8) b, False (FMLA poster)
Employment law posters are filled with details, and it can be easy to overlook the important information they share. Being familiar with their content can help a corporate leader answer questions from employees regarding these rights and also act as a reminder of the many compliance requirements these laws contain.
Terri Dougherty is an associate editor for J. J. Keller &Associates, a Wisconsin-based compliance resource firm with more than 200 clients in the Las Vegas area. The firm also stages seminars in Las Vegas. Reach her through the company’s website at www.jjkeller.com/hr.