Eleven New Workplace Laws Enacted in New Jersey. Posters, Job Security, Mandatory Severance and More

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The following bills were signed by Governor Phil Murphy and are effective immediately unless otherwise noted.

A 1449Provides job security for organ and bone marrow donors.  For the period of disability which is the result of donating and organ or bone marrow, employee is entitled to job reinstatement and benefits with few exceptions.  Applies to all employers. Effective May 20, 2020.   More.

S3170Increases pre-notification time and requires severance pay in certain plant closings, transfers and mass closings. Requires employers with 100 or more full-time employees to pay all workers (full-and part-time) a week's pay for each year of service during a layoff, plant closing or transfer of operation resulting in 50 or more workers losing their jobs. The law also increases the minimum number of days’ notice from 60 to 90 for such events.  Effective July 19 2020.  More.

S1791 Requires employers to disclose certain wage information to employees.  Expands obligations that all employers, public and private, with 10 or more employees provide a statement of earnings, which includes the number of hours worked by the employee if relevant to the wage calculation, among other things.  Effective May 20, 2020.  More.

A5838 — Concerns investigations and stop-work orders.  Gives N.J. Labor Commissioner authority to interview employees, examine payroll records when investigating wage-hour, benefit and payroll tax violations and allows and provides authority to issue an order closing a business for knowing and deliberate violations.  Applies to all employers.  More.

A5839 — Concerns penalties for misclassification of employees.  Penalizes employers up to $250 per misclassified employee for first violation and up to $1,000 per misclassified employee for each subsequent violation. Applies to all employers.  More.

A5840— Concerns joint liability for payment of employer tax law.  Employers are co-liable for wage-hour, benefit and payroll tax violations committed by temp agencies, employee leasing firms and PEOs. Applies to all employers.  More.

A5843— Requires employers to post notice for employees on employee misclassification.  New annual poster requirement. Applies to all employers. Effective April 1, 2020.  More.

S4226 — Permits the Department of Labor and Workforce Development to post information of person who violates state wage, benefit and tax laws.  The name, address and description of the business that violates wage-hour, benefit and payroll tax laws is posted on a public website.  More.

S4228— Concerns tax data sharing between State Treasury and N.J. Department of Labor.  For the first time, the N.J. Labor Commissioner will have access to business tax records during an investigation of wage-hour and misclassification violations.  More.

A1992 - Creates the "New Jersey Call Center Jobs Act."  Requires employers with 50 or more employees who operate call centers in NJ to maintain certain staffing levels and report to the Commissioner when staffing levels fall below the required threshold.  Additionally, notification must be provided to the Commissioner when a call center relocates.  Effective July, 2020.

S3594 - Provides certain employment protections for National Guard members employed in NJ. Expands upon existing employment protections to provide members of the National Guard of New Jersey or any other state who are employed in NJ with the same employment protections as are provided to members of the United States Armed Forces called to federal active duty.

Register now for 30-minute, no cost, conference call to explain NJ's Worker Classification law on March 12, 2020 at 10am with Amy M. Vazquez.