by: Maxine H. Neuhauser and Amy E. Hatcher
On January 7, 2013, the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (the “Department”) published in the New Jersey Register proposed new rules and notification language to implement a recently enacted law intended to fight gender inequity and bias in the workplace. The notice of proposal is available for downloading here.
The law, which became effective on November 19, 2012, requires every employer in New Jersey with 50 or more employees to post a notice advising employees of their right to be free from gender inequity or bias in pay, compensation, benefits, or other terms or conditions of employment under particular state and federal laws.
New Jersey employers are also required to distribute a copy of the notice:
In English and Spanish and any other language that the employer reasonably believes is the first language of a significant number of the employer’s workforce, provided a notice has been issued in that language by the Department;
- To all employees no later than 30 days after the notice is issued by the Department;
- At the time of an employee's hiring;
- To all employees annually, on or before December 31 of each year (and the employer must obtain a written acknowledgement of receipt); and
- At any time upon the first request of an employee.
The notice may be transmitted electronically to employees via e-mail, or via an internet or intranet site, so long as it is accessible and the employer provides notice to employees that the notice has been posted electronically.
Importantly, the notification requirements of the law are not triggered until the New Jersey Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development issues the form of notification by regulation, which will likely take at least a few months. Employers will have 30 days from the date of the notice of adoption in the New Jersey Register, containing the final form of the notification, to comply with the notification and posting requirements.
A public hearing on the proposed amendments and new rules is scheduled to take place on February 13, 2013, and the due date for public comments is March 23, 2013. The Department’s forthcoming January 22 notice, which provides notice of these dates (and also corrects an error in the January 7 proposal), is available for downloading here.
For further information on other New Jersey employer posting requirements, see EBG’s Act Now Advisory entitled “Employer Posting Requirements Under New Jersey Law.”