NLRB Proposes Workplace Notice Rule

December 23, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has proposed a rule requiring employers to display a workplace notice informing employees of their rights to unionize.

An NLRB news release said private-sector employers whose workplaces fall under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) would be required to post a notice where other required workplace notices are displayed. If an employer communicates with employees primarily by email or other electronic means, the notice would be posted electronically as well. The NLRA applies to most private-sector workplaces, although employers of airline, railroad, and agricultural workers are not covered

According to the news release, the agency “believes that many employees protected by the NLRA are unaware of their rights under the statute. The intended effects of this action are to increase knowledge of the NLRA among employees, to better enable the exercise of rights under the statute, and to promote statutory compliance by employers and unions.”

The NRLB said similar postings are already required under the Fair Labor Standards Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Family and Medical Leave Act, among other workplace laws. The notice would be available from the agency’s regional offices and could also be downloaded from the NLRB Web site.

Public comments are invited on all aspects of the proposed rule, and should be submitted within 60 days of publication in the Federal Register, either electronically to www.regulations.gov, or by mail or hand-delivery to Lester Heltzer, Executive Secretary, NLRB, 1099 14th Street NW, Washington DC 20570.

More information is at http://www.nlrb.gov/About_Us/news_room/Notice_for_Rulemaking/.

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