New Jersey WARN Severance Pay Challenge Rejected

On April 6, 2023, a New Jersey federal court denied a request to invalidate the severance pay requirements of the amended New Jersey mini-WARN law, known officially as the Millville Dallas Airmotive Plant Job Loss Notification Act (NJWARN). Accordingly, the law’s new severance pay requirements will take effect on April 10, 2023, along with all other provisions of the amended NJWARN law.

New Jersey’s Amended Mini-WARN Act FAQs, Part III: Liability Provisions, Penalties, and Preparing for the Effective Date

On January 10, 2023, Governor Phil Murphy signed legislation, which will become effective on April 10, 2023, amending the Millville Dallas Airmotive Plant Job Loss Notification Act—more commonly known as New Jersey’s mini-WARN law, or NJWARN. Part one of this three-part blog series provided an overview of frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the amended (Amended NJWARN) versus the original (Original NJWARN) law. Part two covered the new notice and severance pay requirements and the release provisions of the amended law. Part three, analyzes Amended NJWARN’s expanded employer liability and penalty provisions and addresses questions about the transition from Original NJWARN to Amended NJWARN, and how the law applies to triggering events that straddle the new law’s effective date.

New Jersey’s Amended Mini-WARN Act FAQs, Part II: Notice, Severance Pay, and Releases

On January 10, 2023, Governor Phil Murphy signed legislation amending New Jersey’s mini-WARN law (NJWARN, officially named the Millville Dallas Airmotive Plant Job Loss Notification Act), and on April 10, 2023, these changes will become effective. Part one of this three-part blog series summarized the major differences between the original and amended law. Part two, answers employers’ frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the amended law’s new notice and severance pay requirements and the amended law’s release provisions.

New Jersey’s Amended Mini-WARN Act FAQs, Part I: What’s New and Important Definitions

On January 10, 2023, New Jersey’s governor Phil Murphy signed legislation that will make sweeping changes to New Jersey’s mini-WARN law (known officially as the Millville Dallas Airmotive Plant Job Loss Notification Act). These changes become effective on April 10, 2023. This three-part blog series will answer New Jersey employers’ frequently asked questions (FAQs) on these changes.

New Jersey Senate Labor Committee WARNs Effective Date of Amendments Might Be Soon

On January 21, 2020—what seems like a lifetime ago—Governor Phil Murphy signed legislation significantly amending the New Jersey mini-WARN Act (officially known as the “Millville Dallas Airmotive Plant Job Loss Notification Act”) (NJ WARN), but the effective date of the amendments were put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission Releases Interim Drug Testing Guidance

On September 9, 2022, the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (NJ-CRC) issued long-awaited interim guidance to employers regarding the use of a Workplace Impairment Recognition Expert (WIRE) to “detect[] and identify[] an employee’s usage of, or impairment from, a cannabis item or other intoxicating substance.” In addition, the NJ-CRC also released a template “Reasonable Suspicion Observed Behavior Report” form that employers may, but are not required to, use in connection with workplace drug testing.

New Jersey Enacts New Annual and Remote Worker Poster Requirements

Earlier this year, the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights (DCR) issued proposed regulations to allow employers to satisfy the state’s Law Against Discrimination (LAD) and Family Leave Act (NJFLA) poster requirements via an internet or intranet site rather than a conventional bulletin board in the workplace. The proposed regulations also imposed a new annual LAD and NJFLA notice distribution requirement. Those regulations became final on August 1, 2022.

New Jersey Division on Civil Rights Proposes Employer Posting Requirements for Remote Workers

Recognizing that workers are increasingly working from home or in places other than an employer’s worksite, the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights (DCR) issued proposed regulations on March 21, 2022, that would allow employers to satisfy the state’s Law Against Discrimination (LAD) and Family Leave Act (NJFLA) poster requirements via an internet or intranet site rather than a conventional bulletin board in the workplace.

New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission’s Rules and Regulations for CREAMMA Are Here: What Employers Need to Know

As we previously reported, on February 22, 2021, Governor Phil Murphy signed into law the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act (CREAMMA), which, among other things, legalized the recreational use of marijuana in New Jersey for adults age 21 and older. In addition, CREAMMA imposed on employers certain obligations with respect to marijuana and the workplace, including certain antidiscrimination and drug testing provisions.

WARNing—Burdensome New Jersey WARN Act Amendments May Soon Become Effective

There is light at the end of the pandemic tunnel for New Jersey employers, as the state’s COVID-19 numbers continue to decline and Governor Philip Murphy continues to ease restrictions on businesses. But this good news comes with a dose of serious bad news for New Jersey employers too. The state previously adopted amendments to the New Jersey Act (officially known as the Millville Dallas Airmotive Plant Job Loss Notification Act), which require employers to provide 90 days’ notice before the first employee is discharged as part of a mass layoff, termination of operations, or transfer of operations.

Recreational Marijuana Is Legal in New Jersey: What Employers Need to Know

On February 22, 2021, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed into law the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act (CREAMMA). Among other things, the 240-page measure legalizes the recreational use of marijuana for adults age 21 and older and—unfortunately for employers—places significant burdens on companies doing business in New Jersey with respect to marijuana and the workplace.

New Jersey Enacts COVID-19 Workers’ Compensation Presumption Bill for Essential Workers

On September 14, 2020, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed Senate Bill (SB) 2380 into law. SB 2380 creates a rebuttable presumption of workers’ compensation coverage for COVID-19 cases contracted by “essential employees” during a public health emergency declared by an executive order of the governor. The law is effective immediately and retroactive to March 9, 2020.

Keeping Up With New Jersey Employment Law Developments

It was a busy January 2020 in Trenton, with the state enacting several new employment laws, with more apparently on the way. This is in addition to the slew of new laws adopted in 2019 impacting New Jersey employers. Here’s a summary of recent employment law developments in New Jersey just one month into 2020, a look at what may be on the way, and a recap of 2019’s changes.

Frequently Asked Questions About the New Jersey Paid Sick Leave Law, Part III

The New Jersey Paid Sick Leave Law (PSLL) goes into effect on October 29, 2018. We have received hundreds of questions in the last few weeks from employers seeking guidance on what they must do to comply with the law in advance of its looming effective date. This is part three in a three-part series answering some of these frequently asked questions.

Frequently Asked Questions About the New Jersey Paid Sick Leave Law, Part II

The New Jersey Paid Sick Leave Law (PSLL) goes into effect on October 29, 2018. We have received hundreds of questions in the last few weeks from employers seeking guidance on what they must do to comply with the law in advance of its looming effective date. This is part two in a three-part series answering some of these frequently asked questions.

Frequently Asked Questions About the New Jersey Paid Sick Leave Law, Part I

The New Jersey Paid Sick Leave Law (PSLL) goes into effect on October 29, 2018. We have received hundreds of questions in the last few weeks from employers seeking guidance on what they must do to comply with the law in advance of its looming effective date. This is part one in a three-part series answering some of these frequently asked questions.

New Jersey Ban the Box Update: Ogletree Deakins Submits Comments to New Jersey Department of Labor’s Proposed Regulations

As previously reported, the New Jersey Department of Labor (NJDOL) has requested comments on its proposed regulations implementing the Opportunity to Compete Act (also known as the “ban the box” law). On March 30, 2015, Ogletree Deakins submitted detailed comments and questions to the NJDOL. A copy of that letter is available here. A public hearing on the proposed regulations was held on April 7, 2015, and the final regulations are expected to be issued this spring.

New Jersey Veterans May Soon Be Entitled to Preferential Hiring in Non-Civil Service Jurisdictions

On December 3, 2015, Senate Bill 2145 was approved, 62-0, by the New Jersey Assembly. (The bill had already been passed by the New Jersey Senate in May.) If signed into law, the bill would authorize counties and municipalities whose hiring preferences are not subject to civil service hiring rules to give veterans preferential treatment

Expanded Protections Proposed for Breastfeeding Employees in New Jersey

On November 16, 2015, a bill was introduced to extend the protections of the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD) to breastfeeding mothers. If enacted, New Jersey Assembly Bill 4696 would require New Jersey employers to provide a reasonable accommodation for breastfeeding mothers, including reasonable break time each day and a suitable room or other location with privacy (other than a toilet stall), in close proximity to the work area, for the employee to express breast milk.

Bill Proposed to Restrict New Jersey Employers’ Ability to Obtain Salary and Benefits Information from Prior Employers

On November 16, 2015, a bill was introduced that would prohibit employers from seeking, obtaining, or requiring current or prospective employees to provide information about their compensation and benefits history at their prior employer.