New Jersey recently passed a law that enhances worker protections under the state’s Prevailing Wage Act. The bill requires contractors and subcontractors engaged in public work projects to hold a mandatory orientation meeting for each new employee. This meeting must occur no later than three days before the employee’s first day on the project.
The orientation is designed to ensure workers are informed about their wages and classifications under the Prevailing Wage Act. Upon completion of the orientation, employees are required to sign a form provided by the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development, acknowledging they have received the necessary information. Employers must retain these signed forms for a period of six years and make them available to the Department of Labor and Workforce Development upon request.
Employers who have entered into a collective bargaining agreement with the employee’s labor organization are exempt from conducting the orientation. This exemption recognizes the existing mechanisms within unionized workplaces that address worker education and rights.
The law is set to take effect on January 1, 2025.
