There have been lots of developments in New Jersey employment law over the past year. Here are the highlights of what’s coming in 2020:
Minimum wage
It’s now $11 per hour, as of January 1, 2020. The rate will go up by a dollar each January 1 through 2024 , when it will hit $15 per hour.
Family Leave Insurance
There are now higher payroll deductions for Family Leave Insurance. As of January 1, 2020, workers contribute 0.16% of the first $134,900 earned during the calendar year. The most a worker can contribute for 2020 is $215.84.
As of July 1, 2020, workers will be able to claim up to 12 weeks of Family Leave Insurance benefits during a 12-month period (up from the current maximum of six weeks). Workers who take intermittent days for caregiving or bonding will be able to claim benefits for up to 56 days, up from 42 days under the old law.
Benefits will go up, as well. The weekly benefit rate will be calculated at 85% of a claimant’s average weekly wage, up to a maximum of $881 per week.
And, workers with more than one job will have the option to take leave from one employer while continuing to work for another. Their weekly benefit rate will be based only on wages from the employment from which they are taking leave.
Salary history ban
As of January 1, 2020, New Jersey has joined nearly 20 other states in barring employers from quizzing applicants about their compensation history. The new law forbids screening job candidates based on wage, salary, and benefits history and bans employers from requiring candidates to disclose past salaries. Employers can still consider salary information if an applicant provides it voluntarily and without any prompting or coercion.
Note that the law does not apply to internal transfers or promotions, or when the employer knows about past pay because the applicant is an ex-employee, or when a federal law or regulations mandate disclosure of a candidate’s salary history.
Also, if the position involves incentive or commission plans, employers can ask about the candidate’s prior experience with such plans, so long as the employer does not seek information on the applicant’s previous earnings. from those plans.
Finally, New Jersey employers are allowed to ask an applicant for written authorization to confirm pay history, but only after explaining the overall compensation package to the applicant
