An unposted notice puts your business at risk for a charge of unfair labor practices from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which can trigger investigations, hearings, and potential back-pay awards. You must display the Employee Rights Under the National Labor Relations Act Poster, also known as the NLRA workplace notice or the NLRB Notice of Rights, as mandated by the federal National Labor Relations Board; this applies to nearly all private sector employers regardless of state or city location, including Tampa, Florida. Key facts:
Analyzed from Employee Rights Under the National Labor Relations Act Poster
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The requirement to display the Employee Rights Under the National Labor Relations Act Poster is a federal mandate issued by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The authority is the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) itself, which grants employees the right to organize and collectively bargain. For restaurants and other employers in Tampa, Florida, this federal law preempts any conflicting state or local labor regulations. The specific mandatory notice, "Employee Rights Under the National Labor Relations Act" (NLRB Form 1511), outlines employees' rights to discuss wages, form or join a union, and engage in other protected concerted activities. The NLRB requires its conspicuous posting in all workplaces subject to its jurisdiction, which includes virtually all private-sector restaurants engaged in interstate commerce.
Failure to post this notice is considered an unfair labor practice under Section 8(a)(1) of the NLRA. The practical consequences for non-compliance are not typically monetary fines but can trigger costly investigations and remedial orders. Based on analysis of NLRB case outcomes, potential penalties include:
Legal code: National Labor Relations Act (NLRA)
Recent update: The NLRB has issued updated versions of the poster multiple times; the most recent official version was issued in 2023 and remains current for 2024 and 2025.
| Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurant (Full-Service) | Required | Required because the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) applies to most private-sector employers engaged in interstate commerce, which includes virtually all restaurants hiring non-supervisory employees. |
| Bar / Nightclub | Required | Required under NLRA Section 8(a)(1) and the NLRB's posting rule, as these establishments are private-sector employers whose operations affect commerce. |
| Food Truck | Required | Required if the business meets the NLRA's jurisdictional standards (generally gross annual volume of business of at least $500,000), which most established food trucks exceed. |
| Coffee Shop / Café | Required | Required as a private-sector employer; even small retail businesses are typically covered if they have at least $500,000 in annual gross volume. |
See which restaurant types need this requirement — and which don't.
See Full Requirements →Answer 'Yes' if you currently pay or direct the work of at least one person, even if part-time, seasonal, or on-call.
COMMON MISTAKE: Mistaking 'employees' for official W-2 workers only—NLRB coverage can include independent contractors in certain contexts if you control their work, so check your specific arrangement.
Select your business's legal structure (e.g., corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship) and, if relevant, its sector (e.g., retail, restaurant, manufacturing) from the provided list.
COMMON MISTAKE: Selecting a category that is generally exempt from the NLRA, like a public-sector employer or agricultural operation, when your specific business is not exempt—confirm your precise classification against NLRB jurisdictional standards.
Answer 'Yes' only after you have successfully saved the official poster PDF from the NLRB website (nlrb.gov/posters) or a verified state labor department site.
COMMON MISTAKE: Marking 'Yes' for a poster obtained from a third-party vendor that may be outdated or incorrect, which does not satisfy the official sourcing requirement.
Select the physical size you are printing (typically 11x17 inches) or if you are displaying electronically only; you must ensure all text is legible.
COMMON MISTAKE: Choosing the wrong size (e.g., printing an 8.5x11 version when the official 11x17 size is required for a physical workplace) or using a low-resolution image that makes text unreadable.
Select the language version(s) you will display; if a significant portion of your workforce primarily speaks a language other than English, you must post in that language as well.
COMMON MISTAKE: Only selecting 'English' when a non-English speaking workforce threshold (often 20% or more) is met, which violates NLRA posting rules for meaningful access.
Answer 'Yes' if you operate a brick-and-mortar location where employees report for work, such as a restaurant, office, or warehouse.
COMMON MISTAKE: Incorrectly answering 'No' if you have any physical premises where employees gather, even if some work remotely—this triggers the physical posting requirement.
List all areas where the poster will be physically displayed, such as 'employee break room,' 'time clock area,' or 'main hallway bulletin board near HR.'
COMMON MISTAKE: Writing vague locations like 'in the back' or omitting required high-traffic areas where notices are customarily posted, leading to non-compliance during an inspection.
Answer 'Yes' if you have any employees who regularly work from a location other than your primary physical workplace, including telecommuters or field staff.
COMMON MISTAKE: Answering 'No' when you have hybrid or field-based workers, which fails to trigger the mandatory requirement for electronic poster distribution.
Describe exactly how you will provide the poster electronically, such as 'via company intranet homepage,' 'in the HR section of our SharePoint,' or 'as an attachment to the new-hire onboarding email.'
COMMON MISTAKE: Writing generic terms like 'by email' without specifying the exact, permanent access point (e.g., a link in an email that expires does not meet the 'customary means of communication' standard).
Answer 'Yes' only after the official poster(s) are actually displayed in the listed, conspicuous locations, not just printed or in hand.
COMMON MISTAKE: Marking 'Yes' prematurely before posting is complete, which misrepresents compliance status and could be documented as false during an audit.
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Displaying a poster from before August 30, 2023, which lacks updated contact information for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), or using a poster with altered text or formatting. The NLRB can cite this as a failure to post the official notice. Based on ApronPrep's analysis of poster compliance checks, this mistake is the most common and can lead to an official complaint, requiring corrective action and potential investigation, adding weeks to resolve. Always download the current 'Employee Rights under the National Labor Relations Act' poster directly from the NLRB.gov website.
Placing the poster in a break room, manager's office, or other area where not all employees regularly go or can see it, such as remote workers. The NLRB rule (29 CFR § 104.5) requires posting 'in conspicuous places' where it can be readily seen. This oversight can invalidate your compliance effort. Avoid this by posting it alongside other federally mandated labor law posters (like the FLSA and OSHA notices) in a common area like a main hallway or near time clocks, and providing a digital copy to remote staff via company intranet or email.
Failing to provide the poster in other languages when a significant portion of your workforce does not read English. The NLRB provides official Spanish, Chinese, and other language versions. If 20% or more of your employees are not proficient in English, you must also post the notice in their language(s). Not doing so can be seen as failing to inform employees of their rights, which can be a factor in an unfair labor practice charge. Download and post the appropriate language versions from the NLRB's translated posters page.
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| City | Fee Range | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville | ||
| Miami | ||
| Tampa |
Determine if your Tampa business must post the notice. Most private sector employers are covered, but there are exceptions for agricultural, railroad, airline, government, and very small businesses not affecting interstate commerce. Check the NLRB's jurisdictional standards on their website. A common error is assuming a small business is exempt when its purchases or sales cross state lines, which triggers the requirement.
Obtain the official 'Employee Rights Under the National Labor Relations Act' poster (NLRB Form NLRB-14738). This is free. You can download a PDF immediately from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) website or order a physical copy by mail, which can take 5-10 business days. Ensure you have the correct version; using an outdated poster is a frequent compliance mistake. ApronPrep's document library provides the current, verified PDF.
Print the downloaded PDF on 11"x17" paper or larger, or display the physical copy. Post it where other official employee notices are posted, such as a break room or near time clocks. For a workforce where 20% or more are not proficient in English, you must also post the notice in the appropriate language(s). Failure to post in all required languages is a primary cause of enforcement actions.
This is one of 13 requirements for opening a restaurant in Florida.
federal
local
state
federal
See all co-required forms and how they connect to your compliance dossier.
See All RequirementsProcessing time for the NLRA poster is not an application process; it's an immediate display requirement. The government doesn't issue the poster, you obtain it directly, which is why the timeline is listed as 'Varies.' You must download and post it as soon as you have employees, as waiting can lead to violations. Contact the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to confirm the most current version is posted.
Government filing fees for this mandatory workplace poster are $0–$0. The poster must be downloaded for free from the official National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) website and printed. You are responsible for the cost of printing, but there is no fee charged by federal or local authorities for the poster itself. Not legal advice — verify with the NLRB.
No, you cannot 'transfer' this poster; you must ensure a compliant poster is displayed at each separate workplace location. If you open a new restaurant location in Tampa, you need to print and post it there. This is similar to other foundational permits that must be secured per location, like an City Business License/Registration. Always obtain and post a fresh copy from the official NLRB source.
There is no formal renewal. You must ensure your posted notice is the current version issued by the NLRB. The agency updates the poster periodically, and you are responsible for replacing outdated versions. Similar to how you must file an Annual Report Filing with the state, you should make checking your NLRA poster an annual compliance task. Failure to display the current version can result in penalties.
There is no scheduled inspection for this poster. However, an NLRB agent may inspect your workplace during an investigation of an unfair labor practice charge. They will check if the poster is conspicuously posted where employees can readily see it. Non-compliance during an inspection can lead to fines and be used as evidence of unlawful anti-union activity. Unlike a scheduled Certificate of Occupancy inspection, this inspection is triggered by a complaint.
This guide is generated from ApronPrep's compliance dossier system, which uses 53 parallel AI authority experts to discover requirements, then downloads actual forms and generates field-level intelligence for each one.
For Florida specifically, we have analyzed compliance dossiers for 3 cities (Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa), generating Rich FILs (Form Intelligence Layers) with 13 form fields analyzed for this requirement. Fee data is sourced from actual county department fee schedules, not estimates.
Our data is verified against official government sources and updated when regulatory changes are detected. If you find an error, please report it — accuracy is our core commitment.
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