New Jersey Worker Rights
New Jersey has a high minimum wage, earned sick leave, state-run family leave and disability insurance, and some of the toughest wage theft and misclassification laws in the country.
- New Jersey
Pay
- Minimum wage: above $15 and adjusted every January.
- Overtime: 1.5x over 40 hours a week.
- Wage theft: employers can owe up to 200% in additional damages, and wage theft can be a crime.
- Misclassification: strong penalties, and the state presumes workers are employees unless the employer proves otherwise.
- Prevailing wage: required on public works.
Breaks and leave
- Earned sick leave: 1 hour for every 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours a year.
- Family Leave Insurance and Temporary Disability Insurance: state programs that pay partial wages.
- Temporary Workers’ Bill of Rights: protections for temp workers. See Temp & Staffing Workers.
Unions and right-to-work
New Jersey is not a right-to-work state, so a union contract can require covered workers to pay at least a fee for representation. Private-sector workers have the right to organize under federal law. See Your Right to Organize.
Where to file
- Unpaid wages and overtime: New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Wage and Hour Compliance.
- Discrimination and harassment: New Jersey Division on Civil Rights, or the U.S. EEOC.
- Safety: Federal OSHA covers private employers. PEOSH covers state and local government workers.
- Work injuries: report the injury to your employer right away, in writing, and follow up with New Jersey’s workers’ compensation agency. See Workers’ Compensation.
Check current rules: this is a summary. Wage rates and labor laws change often, usually on January 1 or July 1, and cities and counties can add their own rules. Confirm details with the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development before acting. Federal protections apply too. See Where to Get Help.
Standards & references
Last updated: