Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) Poster in Paterson, New Jersey (2026)

{ "why_description": "

The Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) Poster is a federal workplace posting requirement enforced in Paterson, New Jersey, by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD). It is mandated by the federal Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988 (29 U.S.C. §§ 2001–2009). This law strictly prohibits most private employers from requiring, requesting, suggesting, or administering any lie detector test to applicants or employees. The WHD requires the official poster to be displayed prominently where all employees and applicants can see it, typically in a common area like a break room or near time clocks. Failure to display the poster is considered a violation of the EPPA's notice provisions, separate from any unlawful testing.

Not displaying the required poster opens your Paterson restaurant to specific federal penalties and operational risks. The consequences for non-compliance are not hypothetical and are actively enforced through WHD investigations, which can be triggered by employee complaints or routine inspections.

• Civil money penalties: The DOL can assess fines for each violation of the posting requirement. While the EPPA itself does not specify a precise fine amount for poster violations, the DOL uses its authority under the FLSA and other statutes to levy penalties for recordkeeping and notice failures, which can amount to hundreds of dollars per violation.
• Increased liability in employee disputes: If an employee files a claim for an actual polygraph violation, the failure to have the poster displayed can be used as evidence of a willful or knowing violation of the Act, potentially increasing damages.
• Cease-and-desist orders & mandatory compliance: A WHD investigation resulting from any complaint will include a poster check. Lack of the poster leads to a citation and a mandatory order to post it immediately, often under DOL supervision, adding administrative burden.
• Insurance and lease implications While not a direct fine, evidence of labor law violations can complicate general liability insurance renewals and may violate the "compliance with laws" clauses standard in commercial leases, potentially giving landlords cause for action.

", "recent_update_note": "In 2025, the Department of Labor issued updated versions of several mandatory posters, including the EPPA poster, to reflect new contact information and formatting; while the core legal text remains unchanged, displaying an outdated version may still be cited as non-compliance during an audit." }