Official Language of United States: Impact on Work-Site Postings
The March 1 presidential executive order declaring English as the official language of the United States does not impact current requirements or practical reasons for posting work-site notices in Spanish and other languages.
Federal Posting Requirements
Federal regulations for the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) require employers with a significant portion of workers who are not literate in English to provide and post notices in a language in which the employees are literate. The U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division provides downloadable FMLA posters in English and Spanish and Fair Labor Standards Act posters in 10 languages.
Amendments to regulation have not been initiated. Changes would be subject to the rulemaking process of proposal and opportunity for public comment before final rules are released.
State Posting Requirements
Posters required by the Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation and the Office of Injured Employee Counsel (OIEC) must be displayed in both English and Spanish. Requirements for other notices are not specified.
Practical Actions
In Texas, it is a good practice to post all notices in Spanish due to large number of employees whose primary language is Spanish. Depending on the demographics of the workforce, some employers choose to post notices in additional languages. The purpose is to ensure all employees understand the rights and responsibilities afforded by various employment laws and regulations.
Resources
Work-site Posting Requirements for Districts and Work-site Posting Requirements for Colleges are available in the HR Services Resource Library (member login required). These charts identify required federal and state notices and any specifications such as language, size, and font type.
Additionally, HR Services’ Work-Site Posting Checklist for Districts and Work-Site Posting Checklist for Colleges can be used by employers to use to ensure notices are properly posted.
Federal and state work-site posters in English and Spanish are available for purchase in the online TASB Store.
April Mabry
April Mabry oversees HR Services training services, member library products, and the HRX newsletter. She has provided HR training and guidance to Texas public schools since 1991. Mabry was a classroom teacher for 11 years in Texas and Michigan.
Mabry has a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Michigan and certification as a professional in human resources (PHR) and is a SHRM-CP.
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