New Jersey has passed a bill that imposes a civil penalty on any employer that coerces or attempts to coerce an employee of the employer based on the immigration status of the employee. Specifically, the bill imposes the following civil penalties:
- for the first violation, a civil penalty not to exceed $1,000;
- for the second violation, a civil penalty not to exceed $5,000; and
- for any subsequent violation, a civil penalty not to exceed $10,000.
The bill provides the following example: an employer that does not pay appropriate wages may be subject to penalties under the “New Jersey State Wage and Hour Law” or the wage payment law. Under the new bill, if the employer that is failing to pay appropriate wages also threatens an employee based on the employee’s immigration status to pressure the employee from reporting a violation, the employer would be subject to additional penalties.
Click here to access the full text of the bill. The bill is effective immediately.
