Labor & Employment in New Jersey

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 1261: Permits certain municipalities to appoint persons separate from civil service eligible list under certain circumstances.

This bill allows small New Jersey municipalities (under 12,000 population without police departments) to hire qualified candidates without civil service exams if the Civil Service Commission fails to provide a certified hiring list within 30 days or if the list yields no suitable candidates. The municipality must use a waiver form approved by the Commission, and the hired candidate must complete a working test period to gain civil service status. The Commission cannot require the municipality to replace such hires later, even if a standard eligible list becomes available.

Topics ✗ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Public Employees

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 3136: Bars certain employees of certain public agencies from participating in PERS; repeals law permitting PERS and TPAF members on leave who work for labor organization to purchase pension credit.

This bill prevents new employees of school board and county college insurance groups from joining New Jersey's state retirement system (PERS). It also ends retirement coverage for current employees in these groups with fewer than 10 years of service credit. Employees with 10 or more years may keep their retirement coverage if they continue working without interruption. The bill repeals prior laws that allowed certain employees on leave to purchase additional pension credit.

Topics ✗ Education ✗ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Higher Education

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 690: Restricts use of accumulated sick leave by public employees in year prior to retirement.

This bill restricts public employees in New Jersey from using six or more consecutive days of accumulated sick leave in the twelve months before retirement without documented medical necessity. It applies to state employees, local government workers, and school employees, requiring them to provide written medical verification for such leave use. Employers must establish procedures for verifying medical necessity, including the option of a medical exam by a doctor chosen by the employer. Violations can result in fines (three times the daily pay per day of violation) or, for a second violation, the deduction of improperly used sick leave from retirement benefits.

Topics ✗ Labor & Employment

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 691: Limits certain unused sick leave pay and vacation leave carry-forward for public officers and employees.

This bill caps the retirement payout for unused sick leave at $10,000 (down from $15,000) for public employees in New Jersey, including those working for political subdivisions, agencies, authorities, and school boards. It applies only to employees who began service after a 2010 law took effect, not affecting existing collective bargaining agreements. The bill also requires unused vacation leave to be taken in the following year, unless related to a state emergency declared by the governor. These changes modify how public employees receive compensation for accrued leave upon retirement.

Topics ✗ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining

died · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 3413: Amends current child labor laws to protect minor working as vlogger in certain circumstances.

This bill would have exempted minors under 16 from standard child labor restrictions when working as vloggers - defined as creating video content featuring minors for compensation on online platforms - provided they work under a caregiver or family member's supervision. It would have required caregivers to provide compensation for this work, as specified in pending sections of the bill. The exemption applied only to minors working as part of a family vlogging operation, not to minors creating their own vlogs. The bill was introduced in 2026 but withdrawn after being incorporated into another law (P.L.2025, c.355).

Topics ✗ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Child Labor

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 188: Removes Election Day as State and public holiday.

This bill removes Election Day from New Jersey's list of paid holidays for state employees and public holidays for government operations. It directly affects state and local government workers who would no longer receive Election Day off, and reduces costs for state departments like Corrections and Human Services that previously paid overtime for holiday work. The key mechanism is amending two statutes (P.L.2008, c.89 and R.S.36:1-1) to delete "any general election day" from the official holiday list. This change takes effect immediately, meaning state offices will operate normally on Election Day without requiring holiday pay for most employees. The bill does not alter election procedures or voting schedules.

Topics ✗ Budget & Taxes ✗ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Tags Elections

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 3167: Concerns workers' compensation insurance requirements for certain corporations and partnerships.

This bill updates New Jersey's workers' compensation law to clarify coverage requirements for self-employed individuals and business owners. It requires businesses (including partnerships and LLCs) to actively elect coverage for self-employed persons or partners when purchasing or renewing a workers' compensation policy - coverage is not automatic. Businesses only need to provide this coverage if they employ at least one other employee (not the self-employed owner). The bill also specifies that sole S-corporation owners are not automatically covered unless the corporation elects it, and insurers cannot be held liable for failing to provide coverage unless they acted recklessly. This directly affects business owners who work for their own companies but have no other employees.

Topics ✗ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Feb 19, 2026

A 4413: Expands exemption to wage and hour requirements for certain summer camp workers.

This bill (A4413) expands an existing exemption from New Jersey's minimum wage and overtime pay requirements for summer camp workers. It specifically adds two groups to the exemption: employees under age 22 enrolled in school (high school, college, or vocational training) working at private summer camps, and all employees at "resident summer camps" (overnight camps) for overtime pay during June, July, August, and September. Currently, only nonprofit/religious camps were exempt; this bill extends the exemption to these new categories while keeping the existing exemption for nonprofit/religious camps intact. The exemption applies only to the summer months and does not affect minimum wage requirements for these workers.

Topics ✗ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Child Labor Labor Standards Minimum Wage

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 1384: Reduces statute of limitations from six years to two years in medical fee disputes in workers' compensation matters.

This bill shortens the deadline for injured workers to dispute unpaid medical bills in workers' compensation cases from six years to two years. It directly affects workers who need to file claims with the Division of Workers' Compensation regarding medical fees paid or denied by employers or insurers. The key provision requires disputes to be filed within two years of receiving payment or a denial notice, rather than the current six-year standard. This change aims to streamline resolution of billing disputes while maintaining the existing process for determining reasonable fees and preventing medical providers from reporting unpaid charges to credit agencies prematurely.

Topics ✗ Healthcare ✗ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 1441: Concerns classification of musicians for purposes of State employment laws.

This bill exempts musicians who perform for a fee or compensation from being classified as employees under four New Jersey employment laws: unemployment compensation, temporary disability benefits, workers' compensation, and the State Wage and Hour Law. It directly affects musicians performing for pay, removing them from coverage under these specific statutes. As a result, such musicians would not be eligible for unemployment benefits, disability benefits, workers' compensation, or wage/hour law protections. The law takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Topics ✗ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Unemployment

All labor & employment bills