EEOC releases new ‘Know Your Rights’ poster

On October 19, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released a new “Know Your Rights” poster, replacing the previous “EEOC is the Law” poster (last updated in 2009). Federal law requires covered employers to “prominently display” the poster at their worksites. The EEOC has prepared several versions of the poster depending on whether it will be read electronically or posted in the workplace. The different versions of the “Know Your Rights” poster can be found on the agency's website.

Who is a covered employer?

Private employers with at least 15 or more employees are covered under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Likewise, state and local government employers with 15 or more employers and the federal government are covered employers.

Neither Title VII nor the ADA apply to tribal nations, but they apply to covered private employers operating within reservations.

When must a covered employer swap the posters?

You should replace the outdated poster with the new poster immediately. The press release from the EEOC doesn’t state that there’s a grace period for you to replace the outdated poster with the new “Know Your Rights” poster. But it does remind employers that they “are subject to fines for non-compliance.”

So you should act expeditiously to exchange the posters.

What laws does this poster cover?