The “Polygraph Poster” (WH-1462)
This poster is required by Federal Law. Direct link to the poster, in English:
Polygraph Protection Act employee rights (dol.gov)
via https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/WHD/legacy/files/eppac.pdf
See Also:
Employee Polygraph Protection Act | U.S. Department of Labor (dol.gov)
Employee Polygraph Protection Act - Wikipedia
Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988: Background and Implications | Office of Justice Programs (ojp.gov)
29 USC Ch. 22: EMPLOYEE POLYGRAPH PROTECTION (house.gov)
The Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988 (EPPA) generally prevents private sector employers from using lie detector tests, either for pre-employment screening or during the course of employment, with certain exceptions. Employers generally may not require or request any employee or job applicant to take a lie detector test, or discharge, discipline, or discriminate against an employee or job applicant for refusing to take a test or for exercising other rights under the Act.
EPPA excludes Federal, state and local government agencies from the Act's coverage, with respect to public employees. Lie detector tests may also be administered by the Federal Government to employees of Federal contractors engaged in national security intelligence or counterintelligence functions.
EPPA includes limited exemptions that allow for the administration of polygraph tests (but no other lie detector tests) by private sector employers:
Subject to restrictions, the Act permits polygraph (a type of lie detector) tests to be administered to certain job applicants of security service firms (armored car, alarm, and guard) and of pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors, and dispensers.
Subject to restrictions, the Act also permits polygraph testing of certain employees of private firms who are reasonably suspected of involvement in a workplace incident (theft, embezzlement, etc.) that resulted in specific economic loss or injury to the employer.
Where polygraph examinations are permitted under the Act, they are subject to strict standards concerning the conduct of the test, including the pre-test, testing, and post-test phases of the examination.
The Wage and Hour Division (WHD) enforces the EPPA.
The EPPA poster is available in English and Spanish. Posting of the EPPA poster in Spanish is optional.
Notices. There are specific notices that must be given to examinees and examiners in instances where polygraph tests are permitted:
When a polygraph test is administered pursuant to the economic loss or injury exemption, the employer is required to provide the examinee with a statement prior to the test, in a language understood by the examinee, which fully explains the specific incident or activity being investigated and the basis for testing particular employees. The statement must contain, at a minimum, the following information:
-
An identification with particulars of the specific economic loss or injury to the business of the employer
-
A description of the employee’s access to the property that is the subject of the investigation
-
A detailed description of the basis of the employer’s reasonable suspicion that the employee was involved in the incident or activity under investigation
-
The signature of a person (other than the polygraph examiner) authorized to legally bind the employer
Every employer who requests an employee or prospective employee to submit to a polygraph examination pursuant to the ongoing investigation, drug manufacturer, or security services EPPA exemptions must provide:
-
Reasonable written notice of the date, time, and place of the examination and the examinee’s right to consult with legal counsel or an employee representative before each phase of the test
-
Written notice of the nature and characteristics of the polygraph instrument and examination
-
Extensive written notice explaining the examinee's rights, including a list of prohibited questions and topics, the examinee's right to terminate the examination, and the examinee's right to file a complaint with the Department of Labor alleging violations of EPPA
Employers must also provide written notice to the examiner identifying the persons to be examined.
DOL Contacts
Wage and Hour Division
Contact WHD
Tel: 1-866-4-US-WAGE (1-866-487-9243)*
*If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
Posters below, in both English and Spanish:
