Faced with multiple lawsuits, the National Labor Relations Board announced last week that it is delaying the effective date for employers to post a notice of employee collective bargaining rights. The original November 14 deadline has been extended to January 13, 2012.

The delay results from two lawsuits filed by employer interest groups. The two cases have been consolidated, and the presiding federal judge requested the delay in order to give the court additional time to consider the plaintiffs' request to enjoin the effective date of the new rules.

A third lawsuit filed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce may also affect the ultimate enforceability of the new rules. All three lawsuits challenge the statutory authority of the NLRB to require employers to post the employee notice of rights. The NLRB's explanation of the reasons for the delay can be found here.