Earlier this year, Governor Phil Murphy signed the Temporary Workers’ Bill of Rights (the “Act”) into law. This law, which promises to transform the working conditions for temporary employees across the state, has now been paired with proposed regulations from the New Jersey Department of Labor (“DOL”).
These proposed regulations, which are currently under a 60-day comment period where stakeholders can provide their feedback, present a comprehensive plan for implementing the Act. Although the Act and its stipulations were already public, this is the first glimpse that labor law experts and employers have into the DOL’s intended practical application of the law.
The Act is set to have a significant impact on the temporary workforce in New Jersey. The specifics of the Act, combined with the recently-issued DOL regulations, look to formalize the rights and protections of temporary workers in the state.
This law has been under close observation by legal professionals globally, as it represents a potential model for other jurisdictions considering similar legislation. The proposed regulations from the DOL are therefore not just significant for New Jersey or the US but could inform temporary workers’ rights regulations worldwide.
Core components of the Act include stipulations around clear communication of job terms to temporary workers, contractual protections, measures affecting the commercial practices of temporary help service firms, and more.
Over the coming 60-day period, the proposed regulations are open to public comment before they are finalized. Legal professionals, particularly those advising corporations and law firms with temporary workforce operations in New Jersey, are recommended to keep abreast with developments in this forthcoming regulation.
Legal professionals and stakeholders who wish to learn more about the Act and the proposed regulations can read further via the original communication by Saiber LLC.