NJDOL Sending Warning Letter to Businesses with Unsettled Violations of State Labor Laws

“The Workplace Accountability in Labor List” of Bad Actors to Go Public Soon

TRENTON – The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) is sending letters to employers with outstanding liabilities for violations of wage, benefit and tax laws, with a warning that, if unaddressed, their name will be posted on the new Workplace Accountability in Labor List (The WALL), prohibiting them from public contracting opportunities.

Thanks to bipartisan action, The WALL gives NJDOL a powerful new tool to protect fair-minded businesses across the state from employers who undercut their workers to gain a competitive edge. Any business whose name appears on The WALL is barred from public contracting with state, county, or local governments, until they pay their liabilities in full and their business’s name is removed from The WALL.

“Public contracting is a privilege – not a right. And, complying with state wage and hour and tax laws and providing benefits such as paid time off and overtime, are not optional,” said Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo. “We intend to use every legal means to protect workers and level the playing field for employers who follow the law – and, thanks to Gov. Murphy and the Legislature – that now includes naming and shaming bad actors.”

“The WALL is the first major initiative of our new Office of Strategic Enforcement and Compliance,” said Director Peter Basso. “This resource is just one part of our coordinated cross-division, cross-state agency strategic enforcement efforts to ensure employers are adhering to New Jersey’s state, benefit, and tax laws.”

Posting on The WALL is separate from – and may be in addition to – other accountability measures, such as public contractor debarment and business license suspension or revocation. State, county and municipal procurement officers will be able to cross-reference The WALL before awarding public contracts, as they do with the debarment list.

The new list of bad actors will be available to view or download at nj.gov/labor/wall starting in September and updated monthly. Some 40 businesses whose names are slated for The WALL have been sent Notices of Intent to Post Company Name on the WALL and given one more opportunity to settle their delinquent liabilities for worker wages, penalties and fees before their name is posted on The WALL. Additional businesses will be notified in the fall.

Questions about the WALL should be directed to OSECInquiries@dol.nj.gov or 609-376-4952.

For a comprehensive list of questions and answers about The WALL, visit nj.gov/labor/wall.

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