TRENTON - Governor Phil Murphy's expansion of the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development's (NJDOL) authority in 2019 has resulted in the issuance of over 110 stop-work orders and the recovery of more than $2.7 million in back wages, liquidated damages, and penalties owed to affected workers.
This approach was designed to halt work on job sites when there is strong evidence of worker exploitation. In 2021, these powers were further enhanced, allowing stop-work orders to be extended to all sites of an employer found violating the law.
“Since the beginning of our Administration, we have been dedicated to respecting, defending, and upholding the rights of all New Jersey workers, who are the lifeblood of our economy,” Governor Murphy remarked, underscoring the success of the expanded enforcement measures.
Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo affirmed the effectiveness of this approach: “Having the authority to shut down work as soon as wrongdoing is identified has exponentially strengthened the department’s effectiveness at enforcing our state’s wage and hour laws and protecting workers and law-abiding employers.”
The NJDOL's Division of Wage and Hour and Contract Compliance can immediately halt work at any public or private worksite when an investigation uncovers an employer violating state wage, benefit or tax laws. Violations can range from misclassifying employees as independent contractors to not having appropriate workers’ compensation insurance or failing to pay prevailing wage or overtime.
Since 2019, 87 of the 110 stop-work orders were issued for construction jobs, 44 of them being public works projects. Investigations have led to 11 contractors being debarred from engaging in future public works jobs.
NJDOL has also adopted Strategic Enforcement, a proactive approach targeting industries with a history of non-compliance and employees less likely to file complaints. One such initiative in the drywall industry resulted in the issuance of 10 stop-work orders at a single Raritan construction site.
Industry stakeholders like Bill Mullen, President of the New Jersey Building and Construction Trades Council, and Jack Kocsis, CEO of the Associated Construction Contractors of New Jersey, have praised the efforts of NJDOL, commending their commitment to level the playing field and protect workers from exploitation.
For detailed information on the number of stop-work orders issued per county and the specific employers issued a stop-work order, as well as the job site location where the order was issued, visit the NJDOL's official website.
For more information on New Jersey's wage laws, visit myworkrights.nj.gov.
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