New Jersey Gender Pay Equity, Jersey City Paid Sick Leave Posters Now Available
Author: Marta Moakley, XpertHR Legal Editor
December 16, 2013
Many New Jersey employers will have additional notice posting requirements beginning this January. In addition, those employers operating in Jersey City have posting and related requirements under that city's paid sick leave law.
New Jersey Gender Equity Notice
New Jersey employers with a total of 50 or more employees (whether those employees work inside or outside of New Jersey) will have additional notice and posting requirements regarding New Jersey's Gender Pay Equity Law. Signed by Governor Chris Christie in 2012, the law requires that employers conspicuously post notice of worker rights under state and federal gender pay equity or gender discrimination laws.
The posting requirement is effective January 6, 2014. Although the poster is available now, there is no requirement that employers post the gender equity notice prior to the effective date. In addition, employers affected by the notice requirements must provide their current employees with a written copy of the gender equity notice by February 5, 2014. For employees hired after January 6, 2014, an employer must provide a written copy of the gender equity notice at the time of hire.
Jersey City Paid Sick Leave Poster
Jersey City employers will have additional requirements regarding the provision of paid sick leave to employees, including certain notice posting requirements. The ordinance becomes effective January 24, 2014.
Jersey City private employers with 10 or more employees will be required to offer eligible employees up to 40 hours (or five days) of paid sick leave each year. In addition, employers with less than 10 employees are required to offer up to 40 hours of unpaid sick leave.
Under the ordinance, employers must provide notice of an employee's right to sick leave through:
- Written notification, which may consist of including the ordinance's provisions into an existing employee handbook; and
- A poster that is conspicuously posted in a place or places accessible to employees.
The Jersey City Department of Health and Human Services has added resources (e.g., frequently asked questions) to its website to help employers understand and comply with the law.
Additional Protections
A covered New Jersey employer must ensure compliance with the all of the provisions in each new law in order to minimize its liability risks. For example, the Jersey City Paid Sick Leave Ordinance contains retaliation protections for employees who exercise their rights, i.e., taking five accrued sick days in a year.