
Government agencies are placing QR codes on labor law postings.
More than one-third of Americans owns a smartphone capable of scanning Quick Response (QR) codes. What do those 100 million+ people want to do on their smartphones that they can’t do on “non-smart” mobile phones – and are QR Codes living up to their expectations?
Short answer: More Info, Please!
And yet, for all their potential functionality, QR codes have generally gotten mixed reviews. Marketers love them, for instance, because they can take consumers to a specific product or a promotion very quickly. Many other people dislike QR codes for that very reason.
Are there ways to use QR codes that provide value to the end user without the ubiquitous “sales job” lurking on the other side of the QR code link?
Yes, and even government agencies are trying out some interesting QR code tactics.
Government Jumps on the QR Code Bandwagon
There is an increasing trend among government agencies to use QR codes. Some brief examples include:
- The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) began incorporating QR codes on airport check-in signage in 2011, with hopes of expanding code usage for lost and found info, customer service, procedural information, and travel tips.
- Indiana state senators use QR codes in their mailings to link to their websites for more information about the issues.
- AIDS.gov uses QR codes to link users to more detailed information about HIV-related topics.
And, Yes, QR Codes on Labor Law Postings
Currently, two federally mandated postings include QR codes directly from government agencies:
- OSHA’s Job Safety and Health: It’s the Law poster uses a QR code that brings users to the OSHA website.
- Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division’s Employee Polygraph Protection Act posting’s QR code brings users to the Department’s EPPA web page.
The QR code links could be useful to someone interested in learning more about the specific agency or statute covered by the posting, but they do little to help the business owner, human resources department, or legal compliance team to make sure the posting is up-to-date and compliant.
The Fast and the Functional: GovDocs QR Code Approach to Labor Law Poster Compliance
The trend seems to be that government agencies will use more QR codes on mandated postings, perhaps eventually incorporating even more functional QR codes for businesses. But even if each issuing state and federal agency included a QR code on their postings that led smartphone users to an agency website, the typical employer would still need to scan and navigate through a dozen state and federal websites.
Fortunately, GovDocs created Compliance Check with the busy employer in mind. Each of our All-on-One state and federal posters contain a single QR code that leads to an easy-to-read interface via the smartphone with a simple “compliant” or “not compliant” message. GovDocs is the only labor law poster and compliance services vendor to offer that smartphone interface.
Compliance Check QR codes are fast, they’re easy, and they come standard on all GovDocs All-on-One postings at no extra cost!
Your compliance audits just got easier.