You face civil penalties, employee lawsuits, and a Department of Labor investigation if you fail to display the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Poster — the mandatory workplace notice required by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Also called the WHD Publication 1420 or general FMLA notice, this poster details employee rights to job-protected leave. Key facts:
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The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Poster is a federal workplace posting requirement, mandated by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division. The primary legal basis is the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (29 U.S.C. § 2601 et seq.). For restaurants and other employers, compliance is triggered under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) framework, which governs workplace postings. If your business in Oklahoma City has 50 or more employees within a 75-mile radius, you are legally required to display this poster. The poster must be placed in a conspicuous location where all employees can see it, such as a break room or near time clocks.
Failing to display the required FMLA poster can lead to significant consequences during a Department of Labor investigation. Common penalties include:
Legal code: Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Davis-Bacon Act, Service Contract Act
Recent update: The DOL's FMLA poster was last updated in 2024; ensure you are displaying the current version, as using an outdated poster is considered non-compliant.
| Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurant (Full-Service) | Required | Required if the restaurant employs 50 or more workers within a 75-mile radius, per federal FMLA regulations enforced by the U.S. Department of Labor. |
| Bar / Nightclub | Required | Required if the establishment meets the 50-employee, 75-mile radius threshold; the business type does not grant an exemption under 29 CFR § 825.105. |
| Food Truck | Not Required | Typically exempt unless part of a larger fleet or restaurant group that collectively employs 50+ workers within a 75-mile radius, as individual units rarely meet the threshold. |
| Coffee Shop / Café | Required | Required if the café has 50 or more employees, including part-time workers, within the 75-mile radius defined by 29 CFR § 825.111. |
See which restaurant types need this requirement — and which don't.
See Full Requirements →Enter the total number of employees on your payroll across all locations; count both full-time and part-time staff, as the FMLA applies to all employers with 50 or more employees.
COMMON MISTAKE: Entering the number for only one location if you have multiple sites, which can lead to a misassessment of FMLA applicability and compliance risk.
Confirm 'Yes' to acknowledge your legal obligation to display the poster if you have 50+ employees, which is a key defense against Department of Labor (DOL) penalties for willful non-compliance.
COMMON MISTAKE: Selecting 'No' or leaving blank, which ApronPrep flags as a high-risk gap in your compliance record during a DOL audit.
Confirm 'Yes' once you have obtained the official 2026 'Your Rights Under the Family and Medical Leave Act' poster from the DOL website or an approved distributor.
COMMON MISTAKE: Downloading an outdated poster (e.g., 2023 version) or a poster from a non-official source, which does not fulfill the legal requirement.
Select how you obtained the poster: 'DOL Website,' 'ApronPrep Library,' or 'Commercial Vendor'—auditors may request proof of sourcing from an authoritative channel.
COMMON MISTAKE: Selecting an incorrect source or leaving blank, creating a documentation gap if you need to prove you accessed the legally mandated version.
Describe the specific, conspicuous place where the poster is displayed (e.g., 'Employee break room bulletin board,' 'HR office door'), as required by 29 CFR § 825.300(a).
COMMON MISTAKE: Vague entries like 'office' or leaving blank, which provide no verifiable proof of proper posting for DOL inspection purposes.
Select 'Yes' if you operate more than one worksite within 75 miles, as the FMLA may require posting at each location if they house 50+ employees collectively.
COMMON MISTAKE: Selecting 'No' when you have multiple sites, leading to incomplete compliance and risking penalties at unposted locations.
If 'has_multiple_locations' is Yes, enter the total count of your distinct worksites to ensure your posting plan covers all required locations.
COMMON MISTAKE: Entering '1' when you have multiple locations, which creates an inconsistency in your compliance documentation and plan.
Confirm 'Yes' only after the poster is physically posted in the declared location; this is your final attestation of active compliance.
COMMON MISTAKE: Confirming 'Yes' prematurely before the poster is actually displayed, which misrepresents your compliance status and creates liability.
Confirm 'Yes' to attest you have a process (e.g., quarterly checks) to ensure the poster remains visible, undamaged, and not covered up.
COMMON MISTAKE: Selecting 'No,' indicating no maintenance plan, which auditors view as negligence if a poster is found missing or defaced.
Confirm 'Yes' to acknowledge you will monitor for DOL-issued updates to the FMLA poster, as using an outdated version is non-compliance.
COMMON MISTAKE: Selecting 'No,' which shows a lack of ongoing compliance diligence and increases risk if the DOL releases a new mandatory poster.
Displaying a poster from before 2026 omits critical updates to procedures and notice requirements set by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). The DOL's Wage and Hour Division can cite employers for each location with a non-compliant poster, with potential penalties. To avoid this, download the official 'Employee Rights Under the FMLA' poster directly from the DOL website, ensuring the publication date includes the current year.
Tucking the poster in a back office or an employees-only online portal violates the DOL's requirement for a conspicuous place where all employees and applicants can see it. This mistake is a common finding during investigations. Post it in a common area like a break room, next to time clocks, or on a physical bulletin board that is accessible to all staff.
Assuming only full-time employees are covered is incorrect. The FMLA poster must be displayed for the benefit of all employees, including part-time, temporary, and seasonal workers who meet eligibility criteria. Not posting for all groups can lead to claims that employees were not properly notified of their rights. Ensure the poster is visible in all work locations, including remote worksites with 50 or more employees within a 75-mile radius.
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| City | Fee Range | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Norman | ||
| Oklahoma City | ||
| Tulsa |
Visit the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) section of the Department of Labor's website to download the most current 'Employee Rights Under the Family and Medical Leave Act' poster (Form WHD Publication 1420). The poster is free and provided in multiple languages. Before printing, verify the publication date is the most recent version (check for 2026 or later) as the DOL occasionally updates mandatory content. This step is critical as displaying an outdated poster is a common compliance failure.
Print the downloaded PDF poster at the required size and legibility. The DOL mandates the poster must be at least 11 by 17 inches, with lettering that is clearly legible. Use a professional printer or high-quality office printer on durable paper. Ensure all text, especially the contact information for the WHD (1-866-4-US-WAGE), is clear and unobstructed. A common mistake is printing on standard 8.5" x 11" paper, which does not meet the visibility requirements.
Affix the printed poster in one or more prominent places where it can be readily seen by employees and applicants for employment. In a restaurant, this is typically in a break room, near time clocks, or next to other mandatory labor law postings. The location must be accessible to all staff, including those who may not use a computer. Document this action (e.g., take a timestamped photo) for your records to demonstrate compliance in case of a DOL inspection.
This is one of 13 requirements for opening a restaurant in Oklahoma.
federal
local
federal
state
See all co-required forms and how they connect to your compliance dossier.
See All RequirementsObtaining the federal FMLA poster itself is immediate and free from the U.S. Department of Labor website. However, your overall compliance timeline depends on ensuring it's properly displayed before opening. If you need a Building Permit or a Certificate of Occupancy, those processes, which may include poster verification, can take weeks—contact the Oklahoma City Planning & Development Department for current processing estimates.
There are no government filing fees to download the required poster from the federal government. The official fee range is $0–$0. You must, however, pay for printing or professional framing, if desired. Not legal advice — verify with the U.S. Department of Labor.
Yes, the physical poster itself can be moved to a new business location within Oklahoma City. The legal requirement is to post the notice where employees can see it; it is not tied to a specific address like a City Business License/Registration. You must ensure it's displayed at the new premises on or before the first day of operation there.
You do not renew the FMLA poster. The federal requirement is continuous posting as long as you have 50 or more employees. You only need to replace the poster if the U.S. Department of Labor issues an updated version—check their website annually for new editions. Keep it alongside other mandatory postings that do require renewal.
Federal or state wage & hour investigators will check that the current FMLA poster is displayed in a conspicuous place, like a break room or common area, where all employees can see it. Failure to post can trigger a penalty of up to $204 per violation, per U.S. Department of Labor regulations. This inspection can occur during routine audits or as part of a complaint investigation.
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 Oklahoma specifically, we have analyzed compliance dossiers for 3 cities (Norman, Oklahoma City, Tulsa), generating Rich FILs (Form Intelligence Layers) with 10 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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