January 7, 2026

By Ty Hyderally, Esq., Francine Foner Esq.

On December 23, 2025, the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) issued a press release applauding the various laws enacted in New Jersey since 2018 that benefit New Jersey employees.  According to the NJDOL, “a record 120 new laws were added to NJDOL’s purview” since 2018, which Governor Phil Murphy acknowledged have “strengthened worker protections, expanded benefits including paid sick and family leave, and enhanced workforce development opportunities.”[1]

Among these laws are those which have greatly strengthened worker protections, including statewide earned sick leave, an expansion of temporary disability and family leave benefits, an increase in paid leave options, and significant increases to the minimum wage, which increased to $15.92 in January 2026.

Recent New Jersey legislation also expanded protections for wage theft and increased penalties for misclassification of employees as independent contractors. In 2019, New Jersey amended New Jersey’s existing wage laws to enhance enforcement procedures and provide increased civil and criminal penalties for employers who violate the wage laws, and also greatly expanded the time period during which an employee can recover unpaid wages. In addition, the NJDOL now has new “oversight units” which have issued “over 200 stop-work orders across multiple industries and secured major settlements that returned tens of millions of dollars to workers.” Id.

Another enforcement tool since September 2023 implemented by the NJDOL is the “WALL” (Workplace Accountability in Labor List), which is an on-line a list of employers who fail to satisfy their outstanding liabilities to the State for violations of State wage, benefit and tax laws, including for unpaid wages and worker’s compensation penalties. If an employer’s name appears on the WALL, the employer is prohibited from engaging in public contracting under N.J.S.A. 34:1A-1.16.

Such enhanced legal protections and enforcement strategies have, according to the NJDOL, “helped put $100 million back into the pockets of workers” for wage and hour compliance violations. Id.

Another area of focus of the NJDOL in recent years has been to modernize and upgrade the New Jersey unemployment insurance system, including a redesigned and user-friendly application portal that can be accessed on mobile devices, tablets or desktops, as well as other customer service improvements.

Recent New Jersey laws have also increased protections for domestic and temporary workers to ensure that such workers have fair wages, reasonable hours and sick leave protections, incorporated into a New Jersey Domestic Workers Bill of Rights and a Temporary Workers Bill of Rights.

The above reflects some, but not all of the recent legal developments favorable to New Jersey employees since 2018. Undoubtedly, New Jersey employees have benefitted from many new state laws over the past several years aimed at increasing employee protections and benefits in the workplace and holding employers accountable for violations that harm workers.

If you feel that you are the target of wage theft, discrimination, harassment, whistleblower retaliation, or some other issue in the workplace, or if you have any questions regarding your rights as an employee, you should seek out an experienced attorney who concentrates in employment law. Our firm has been concentrating in employment law for over twenty-two (22) years!

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This blog is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice and may not reasonably be relied upon as such. If you face a legal issue, you should consult a qualified attorney for independent legal advice about your particular set of facts. This blog may constitute attorney advertising. This blog is not intended to communicate with anyone in a state or other jurisdiction where such a blog may fail to comply with all laws and ethical rules of that state or jurisdiction.

[1] https://www.nj.gov/labor/lwdhome/press/2025/20251223_Year_End.shtml