EEOC Updates Mandatory “Know Your Rights” Poster

On October 19, 2022, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission released an updated “Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal” poster. The EEOC requires covered employers to prominently display the poster in the workplace.  The poster summarizes protections under various anti-discrimination laws that the EEOC enforces and gives employees information on how to file a charge of workplace discrimination with the EEOC.

The new “Know Your Rights” includes these changes: 

• Uses straightforward language and formatting;
• Notes that harassment is a prohibited form of discrimination;
• Clarifies that sex discrimination includes discrimination based on pregnancy and related conditions, sexual orientation, or gender identity;
• Adds a QR code for fast digital access to the how to file a charge webpage;
• Provides information about equal pay discrimination for federal contractors.

The poster is available in English and Spanish and will be available in additional languages at a later date. The poster(s) should be placed in a conspicuous location in the workplace where notices to applicants and employees are customarily posted. In addition to physically posting, covered employers are encouraged to post a notice digitally on their websites in a conspicuous location. Covered employers are subject to fines for noncompliance.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that notices of Federal laws prohibiting job discrimination be made available in a location that is accessible to applicants and employees with disabilities that limit mobility.

The EEOC hasn’t yet announced a deadline for replacing the “EEOC is the Law” poster, but the agency requests employers to swap out their postings as soon as possible. Covered organizations are subject to fines for noncompliance.