New Jersey Employment Lawyers have written a series of blogs that help explain how the law in New Jersey applies to the worker and the company.
New Jersey law affords many protections to workers so they aren’t subjected to workplace discrimination or retaliation, and their wage and hour rights are not violated. The law states that a person can’t face discrimination based on any of the following reasons:
- race, creed, color, national origin, nationality, ancestry, age, sex, familial status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, atypical hereditary cellular or blood trait, genetic information, liability for military service and mental or physical disability, perceived disability and AIDS and HIV status
The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development lays out information about how workers can be treated and guidelines that employers must legally follow.
Employment of Minors: Child labor laws were established in the United States in the early 20th Century, but federal agencies note that hundreds of thousands of children are employed as farm workers in this country to this day.
Outside of school, on vacation or during other breaks, children between 14 and 16 are allowed to work.
For minors under 18, they aren’t allowed to work more than six straight days or for more than 40 hours in one week/eight hours in a day. They aren’t allowed to work before 7 a.m. or after 7 p.m., except in a restaurant, supermarket or other retail establishment. The law goes on to list specific examples of jobs that can require extended hours for teen workers.
Farm Labor: The Seasonal Farm Labor Act regulates how seasonal farm workers must be treated and sets up the boundaries for workers.
For instance, a farm workers can’t be fired, suspended, demoted, transferred or otherwise penalized for exercising their rights through laws in New Jersey or established by the federal government. Employers, or “crew leaders,” as defined by the law, can face fines and other penalties if they violate the law.
Drinking water, toilets and hand washing stations should be furnished in the field for workers.
Apparel Industry: The apparel industry is defined as work regarding sewing, cutting, making, assembling or producing apparel intended to be worn by a consumer and sold at retail shops.
These businesses must be registered with the state and manufacturers and contractors must keep accurate records about employees, including:
- Names and addresses of each production employee and the age of every production employee who is a minor
- The number of hours of work and the time of day work begins and ends for production employees
- The wages, wage rates and piece rates paid during each payroll period
- Contract worksheets indicating the price per unit agree between manufacturer and contractor
Those who violate the terms and conditions of the law can be subjected to fines of up to $4,000 and the company can be subjected to suspension for a period of time. It is good to know that employees throughout New Jersey have specific protections for their industry, but violations still occur. They must be explored by an experienced and aggressive New Jersey Employment Lawyer as soon as possible to protect your rights and to prevent the rights of future employees from being violated. .
If you feel your employer has discriminated against in New York or New Jersey, contact the Resnick Law Group, P.C. at 973-781-1204 or (646) 867-7997. We are located in East Hanover, N.J. and Midtown Manhattan on Broadway.