Does an employer have a legal obligation to provide a W-2 statement by a certain date? If so, when?

The feds say that they are supposed to provide a W-2 or a 1099 by the last day of jan. But there is really no recourse if they do not do so. Sometimes you can go to IRS site and get a copy from their archives|||Legally, it must be postmarked no later that January 31. They can always say it was lost in the mail. So, figure out how many days it should take to get to you, then get on their case. If you get them to mail another you now have them committed to a mailing date. Check with www.irs.gov