November 20, 2024
Business

‘Official’ signs should come free

Among this past week’s news items was some good advice from the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention regarding the posting of signs. The bottom line: Staying in compliance with health rules doesn’t have to hurt a small company’s bottom line.

The news story was prompted by solicitations received by several Maine restaurants to buy signs for posting in washrooms. We’ve all seen them, the ones right over the sink stating, “Employees must wash hands before returning to work.” It’s straight to the point, concise and free.

Some enterprising – and less than forthcoming – companies send letters to restaurants, caterers and others offering “official” posters for sale and including an 800 number owners can call to order. Most business owners will want to pass, since the law doesn’t mandate a format or style – a handwritten notice is fine.

We take issue with a couple of aspects of these and similar letters sent to businesses of all kinds: the tone of the text (which often implies that the sender is a government regulator) and the use of official-looking symbols. In last week’s case, some restaurateurs were led to believe the letters came from state health officials.

“The Maine CDC did not issue these letters and there is no requirement to purchase these posters,” said Dr. Dora Ann Mills, director of the Maine CDC. When businesses are required to make postings, the signs are free, either by downloads from the Internet or in hard copy from the regulating agency.

That doesn’t stop hucksters from trying to get some hard-earned money from small-business people. Consider the numbers: An average Maine business must post eight signs on state workplace rules and six more dealing with federal regulations. As changes occur, the postings must be updated; buying a poster or sign every time a rule is updated could get costly in a hurry.

Consider the official-looking mail sent to Northeast CONTACT recently by Personnel Concepts of San Dimas, Calif. The firm’s “Compliance Services Department” wanted us to buy a 24-by-30-inch laminated poster containing ALL state- and federally required posts. And it’s “only” $42.95.

We said no thanks, despite the caution on the company’s Web site that “[f]ailure to comply with posting requirements can result in fines up to $17,000.” While technically true, in practice violators generally face fines of hundreds of dollars (although owners of multisite businesses could pay more).

Our opinion is shared by the Better Business Bureau’s Southern California operation, which calls the company’s solicitations “misleading, as they appear to be sent from a government agency.” The bureau has fielded 140 complaints about the company in the past three years; although the company gave refunds to some, the bureau gave the firm an F rating overall.

The BBB notes signage requirements can be verified with state and federal regulators, with neither charging for materials. Get state-required posters by calling the Maine Department of Labor at 800-872-3838 or 624-9818. Posters are downloadable at www.maine.gov/labor/posters, which also contains links to federal sites.

Consumer Forum is a collaboration, now in its 30th year, of the Bangor Daily News and Northeast CONTACT, Maine’s membership-funded nonprofit consumer organization. Individual and business memberships are available at modest rates. Interested and motivated prospective volunteers are always needed and welcome to apply to help with our mission. For assistance with consumer-related issues, including consumer fraud and identity theft, or for more information, write: Consumer Forum, P.O. Box 486, Brewer 04412, or e-mail contacexdir@live.com.


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