Here in California the Brinker decision has taken up most of my time over the last week.  Now I am finally able to focus on a national issue – as the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia blocked the NLRB from requiring employers to post a notice of employee rights. The court’s decision comes after the federal court in South Carolina ruled that the NLRB exceeded its authority by requiring employers to post notices in the workplace.

The DC appellate court held:

The uncertainty about enforcement counsels further in favor of temporarily preserving the status quo while this court resolves all of the issues on the merits.

On April 17, the NLRB issued a statement setting forth its position:

The agency disagrees with and will appeal last week’s decision by the South Carolina District Court, which found the NLRB lacked authority to promulgate the rule.
Chairman Mark Gaston Pearce said of the recent decisions, “We continue to believe that requiring employers to post this notice is well within the Board’s authority, and that it provides a genuine service to employees who may not otherwise know their rights under our law.”

The NLRB’s website, which explains the notice, also sets forth:

The DC Circuit Court of Appeals has temporarily enjoined the NLRB’s rule requiring the posting of employee rights under the National Labor Relations Act. The rule, which had been scheduled to take effect on April 30, 2012, will not take effect until the legal issues are resolved. There is no new deadline for the posting requirement at this time.

From the docket, it appears that the matter is set for oral argument in September of 2012. So it is unlikely that the NLRB will attempt implement the poster in workplaces prior to this date. My previous post on the topic is here.