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Pennsylvania Employee Handbook Requirements: The LLC Poster Series
Pennsylvania names no statewide written anti-harassment policy requirement, though the Human Relations Commission posting carries its own separate rules. What every Pennsylvania handbook needs is the LLC-coded poster series covering minimum wage, child labor and equal pay, plus a note that Philadelphia and Pittsburgh each run their own paid sick leave ordinance the state law does not.
Pennsylvania organizes its required postings around a letter code, LLC, followed by a number, and a handbook writer who does not know the codes ends up guessing which notices actually apply. Layer on two cities running their own paid sick leave ordinances the state itself does not require, and a single statewide handbook stops being accurate the moment staff work inside Philadelphia or Pittsburgh.
The LLC series covers wage, child labor and equal pay
Every Pennsylvania employer must post the Minimum Wage Law poster (LLC-1), the Abstract of the Child Labor Act (LLC-5) and the Abstract of the Equal Pay Law (LLC-8), alongside the Unemployment Compensation notice (UC-700). Where the business employs minors, the Hours of Work for Minors posting (LLC-17) adds a fourth code to the set, and a handbook covering youth staff should name that posting specifically rather than assume the general child labor abstract covers it.
The Human Relations Commission posting has its own rules
No statewide written anti-harassment policy or training requirement is named on the L&I mandatory postings page, but the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission posting carries separate requirements listed on that same page. A handbook harassment section should confirm the PHRC posting language directly rather than assume the general EEO notice covers it.
Trafficking, smoking and veteran postings round out the set
Establishments covered under Act 197 of 2012 must display the Human Trafficking Hotline posting (LIAS-172), which applies to specific business categories rather than every employer. Covered employers must also display Clean Indoor Air Act no-smoking signage, and a Veteran Benefits and Services posting is listed among the required notices, all belonging in a conspicuous place.
What Pennsylvania specifically adds, with sources
Nothing here is legal advice. Handbook obligations change, so confirm before publishing a revision.
| Minimum wage | $7.25 |
|---|---|
| Overtime | Weekly over 40 |
| Paid sick leave policy | Pennsylvania mandates none, so whatever the handbook promises becomes the enforceable rule. Silence is safer than a generous sentence nobody intended to honour. |
| Family and medical leave | No state programme. Federal FMLA applies at 50 or more employees, unpaid, and the handbook should not imply a paid state entitlement exists. |
| Harassment training | No statewide sexual-harassment-training mandate for private employers today; federal EEOC guidance still applies. [source] |
| Continuation coverage | Below the federal 20-employee COBRA threshold, Pennsylvania has its own continuation law, Pennsylvania Mini-COBRA (Act 2 of 2009), running up to 9 months. The handbook should name it, because employees below that threshold often assume they have no coverage rights at all. [40 P.S. section 764j (added by Act 2 of 2009)] |
Philadelphia and Pittsburgh run their own sick leave rules
Pennsylvania has no statewide paid sick leave mandate in the data this guide relies on, but Philadelphia and Pittsburgh each enforce their own local ordinance. A handbook built only around the state and federal baseline will miss both entirely, and an employer with staff in either city needs a city-specific policy section rather than a single statewide sick leave statement.
Continuation coverage tops out at 9 months
Pennsylvania Mini-COBRA, Act 2 of 2009, covers small employers with at least 2 but fewer than 20 employees whose group health insurance is fully insured, offering continuation coverage for 9 months to employees continuously insured for at least three consecutive months before a qualifying event.
Where Pennsylvania employers get the handbook wrong
The most common mistake is publishing one statewide sick leave policy when Philadelphia and Pittsburgh each require their own local compliance language, leaving employees in those cities under-covered. Employers outside those cities sometimes overcorrect by adding ordinance language that does not apply to them at all. A third mistake is assuming the PHRC posting is satisfied by the general EEOC notice. Handbook decisions on accrual and final pay flow straight into payroll, and BEG's managed payroll keeps the written policy and the paycheck matched across every Pennsylvania location.
Federal FLSA, FMLA and EEOC standards apply in Pennsylvania the same way they do elsewhere, and are covered once in the handbook fundamentals guide.
A Pennsylvania Handbook That Covers Philadelphia and Pittsburgh Correctly.
Certified HR professionals write the LLC poster series and the city-specific sick leave ordinances into a Pennsylvania supplement on the Expert plan, two states included, powered by isolved.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the LLC poster series?
Pennsylvania requires the Minimum Wage Law poster (LLC-1), the Abstract of the Child Labor Act (LLC-5) and the Abstract of the Equal Pay Law (LLC-8) from every employer, plus the Unemployment Compensation notice (UC-700), each in a conspicuous place.
Does Pennsylvania require a written anti-harassment policy?
No statewide requirement is named on the L&I mandatory postings page, though the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission posting carries its own separate requirements listed on that same page and should not be treated as optional.
Does Pennsylvania require paid sick leave statewide?
No statewide mandate is listed, but Philadelphia and Pittsburgh each have local paid sick leave ordinances, so a handbook for a multi-location Pennsylvania employer needs city-specific policy language rather than one statewide statement.
What does the Human Trafficking Hotline posting require?
Establishments covered under Act 197 of 2012 must display the Human Trafficking Hotline posting (LIAS-172). It applies to specific business categories, not every Pennsylvania employer, so confirm coverage before assuming it applies.
Does Pennsylvania require youth employment postings?
Yes, where minors work. The Hours of Work for Minors posting (LLC-17) applies specifically to employers with staff under 18, on top of the general Child Labor Act abstract every employer posts.
How is overtime calculated in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania follows the standard weekly-over-40 overtime rule with no separate state daily overtime requirement, so the handbook should define the workweek clearly for consistent application across every location.
Does Pennsylvania have its own continuation of coverage law?
Yes. Pennsylvania Mini-COBRA, Act 2 of 2009, covers small employers with at least 2 but fewer than 20 employees whose group health insurance is fully insured, running continuation coverage for 9 months.
Does a Pennsylvania handbook need Clean Indoor Air Act language?
Covered employers must display Clean Indoor Air Act no-smoking signage, and a Veteran Benefits and Services posting is also listed among required notices, both belonging in a conspicuous place with the rest of the poster series.
Is BEG a PEO?
No. There is no co-employment and no employer-of-record change. Your company stays the employer; the HR professionals support your team. Powered by isolved.
Anthony leads HR outsourcing strategy at Business Executive Group, a national HR outsourcing firm serving employers across every state. BEG HR outsourcing is powered by isolved, with certified HR professionals tracking Philadelphia and Pittsburgh ordinances as they change.
Sources: Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, mandatory postings. General information, not legal advice.
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