In 2021, Governor Murphy further boosted these powers, permitting stop-work orders to be applied to all work sites of an employer found to be in violation of 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,” said Governor Murphy. “These expanded powers have led to over a hundred stop-work orders in just the past few years, advancing our commitment to stronger and fairer worker protections.”
“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,” said Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo. “We’ve made it clear: If we find you are cheating workers, we will halt your business operations, and in many cases, you will be told to leave the job by the general contractor or contracting authority.”
“A vast majority of New Jersey employers follow the law and do right by their workers, but NJDOL wants to ensure all businesses are following the law and treating workers fairly,” Asaro-Angelo added. “It’s not just about stopping the violations in progress. There is also an educational component to prevent these issues from happening in the first place.”
NJDOL’s Division of Wage and Hour and Contract Compliance has the authority to immediately halt work at any public or private worksite – both construction and non-construction – when an investigation finds evidence an employer has violated state wage, benefit or tax laws. Examples include: misclassifying employees as independent contractors; not having appropriate workers’ compensation insurance; failing to pay prevailing wage or overtime; or paying workers partially, late, or off the books.
“Our hat is off to the New Jersey Department of Labor for using the strongest weapon in its arsenal to crack down on bad actors who cheat the system in the construction industry,” said Bill Mullen, president of the New Jersey Building and Construction Trades Council. “Stop-work orders are a powerful tool needed to ensure that construction workers are protected from contractors who exploit them and cheat them out of wages and benefits they have legally earned. We want to see more leaders in Trenton taking firmer stances like this that the State of New Jersey will not tolerate abuses to workers or the law.”
“ACCNJ commends the New Jersey Department of Labor for continuing to level the playing field for New Jersey’s construction industry by enforcing wage and hour laws,” said Jack Kocsis, CEO of the Associated Construction Contractors of New Jersey. “When employers exploit their workers the State loses millions in tax revenue, reputable contractors lose out on opportunities to bid, and the workers themselves are left without the protection of healthcare coverage, workers’ comp, retirement plans, and other important benefits,” Kocsis continued. “The structure in place ensures a level playing field by increasing enforcement, improving interagency communication, and educating employers and workers to stand against tactics that hurt workers and the citizens of New Jersey. We are always happy to work with our State’s leadership to continue to raise the standards of construction in New Jersey.”
Stop-work order investigations have resulted in the assessment of nearly $3 million in administrative fees and penalties across all employers involved.
Of the 110 stop-work orders issued since 2019, 87 involved construction jobs, with 44 being public works projects. Stop-work order investigations have so far led to 11 contractors being debarred from engaging in future public works jobs.
In addition to responding to worker complaints, NJDOL last year added Strategic Enforcement to its toolbox, focusing on industries with a history of non-compliance and whose employees are less likely to file complaints. The department has increased outreach efforts to connect with workers and employers as part of its Strategic Enforcement initiatives. A recent Strategic Enforcement effort concentrating on the drywall industry resulted in the issuance of 10 stop-work orders at one Raritan construction site.
For an enhanced graphic of each employer issued a stop-work order, as well as the job site location where the order was issued, click here.
Below is a full list of Stop-Work Orders issued by NJDOL and the cities where the violation(s) took place:
ATLANTIC
Vegans Are Us, LLC: Atlantic City
BERGEN
Reliant IT: East Rutherford (2)
Zenith Construction: Mahwah
Gorilla Netting, LLC: Mahwah
Premier Building & Construction Management: Paramus
Little Purse, LLC t/a Shumi Japanese Restaurant: Ridgewood
Urban City Creations, LLC: Ridgewood
BURLINGTON
Edgewood Company: Columbus, Edgewater Park, Pemberton (3)
CAMDEN
Mid Day Medical Associates, LLC: Blackwood
Low Bid, Inc: Cherry Hill
Premier Steel, Inc: Cherry Hill
AAJ Construction, Inc: Cherry Hill
Euro Construction: Cherry Hill
Landmark Hospitality Renovations, LLC: Cherry Hill AD Energy, LLC: West Berlin
CUMBERLAND
New Bridge Contracting, Inc: Millville
Alebrijes: Vineland
GSM Planet, Inc: Vineland
ESSEX
HESP Solar: Belleville
Patriot Iron Works: Belleville
Jersey Pizza, Inc: East Orange
United Demo: Newark
Dimension Contractors, LLC: Newark
Townhouse Builders, Inc: Newark
Summit Assets: Newark
Bella Luce/GLO Group, LLC: Nutley
Practical, LLC: Nutley
GLOUCESTER
Malaga Diner: Malaga
G&Lg Erectors, Inc: Swedesboro
HUDSON
Three Sons Restoration, LLC: Bayonne
Physician Wellness Consultants, LLC: Bayonne Donald Drywall LLC: Harrison
REB Construction: Jersey City
Osorio J. Painting, LLC: Jersey City
Drywall Builders Corp: Jersey City
The Kadex Ceiling Team, Inc: Jersey City
Blue Star Drywall, Corp: Jersey City
Concrete Rising, LLC: Jersey City
Signatura Laboris, Inc: Jersey City
Bodytopia: West New York
Ostreicher Floor Covering: North Bergen
HUNTERDON
All Set Construction Corp: Annandale
Grade Construction: Annandale
Jahnke & Sons Construction, Inc: Annandale
MERCER
Latz Inc: Ewing
Westwood Construction of NJ, LLC: Ewing Benchmark Site Development, LLC: Ewing
D.S. Rodrigues Construction, LLC: Princeton Tricon Enterprises, Inc: Trenton
Saint Joseph Trim & Cabinet Co: Trenton
Three Sons Restoration, LLC: West Windsor Cunha’s Construction Inc: Robbinsville; All locations company-wide (1)
MIDDLESEX
Concrete Solutions NJ, LLC: Dunellen
Bismark Construction Corp: Dunellen
Modern Technology, Inc: Edison
The Kemmerer Group, Inc: Edison
Best Hernandez Construction, LLC: Monroe
Carol Concrete, LLC: Monroe
Elite Pro Rebar: Monroe
5 Star Reinforcement GA, LLC: Monroe
Kico Construction, LLC: Monroe
A&D Welding, Inc: Piscataway
MONMOUTH
Eagle Associates of Cazenovia LLC: Freehold
JH Williams Enterprises, Inc: Freehold
Maya’s Concrete, LLC: Freehold
Galo: Keansburg
Taj Mahal: Manasquan
Quality Steel Erectors, Inc: Manasquan
Alliance 360 Group, Inc: Manasquan
H&S Construction & Mechanical, Inc: Manasquan Luigi’s Pizza of Ocean, LLC: Ocean
Louies AM Kitchen, LLC: Spring Lake
D&J Towing and Recovery Inc: Wall Twp
Luigi’s Famous Pizza/Rocco B Pizzeria LLC: Wanamassa
MORRIS
Public House Partners, LLC: Chester
Argo Fuel LLC: Rockaway
Ultimate Framing, LLC: Parsippany
OCEAN
Reliant IT: Lakewood (4)
Zafir Construction Corp: Toms River
Silva Brothers Construction Carpentry, Inc: Toms River
Connected General Construction, LLC: Toms River Luis RC Construction, LLC: Toms River
Bragton Construction, Inc: Waretown
PASSAIC
E&M Bindery, Inc: Clifton
M&M Construction Technology, Inc: Paterson
SALEM
Pennsville Restaurant Assn., LLC t/a Chobani’s Restaurant: Pennsville (2)
SOMERSET
LV Drywall, Inc: Raritan
SamPaul Contracting, Inc: Raritan (2)
Blue Contractor Corp: Raritan
JMR Construction: Raritan
Ariel Drywall Corp: Raritan
Drywall Express, LLC: Raritan
Soft Contractor Corp: Raritan
Maximum Contractor Corp: Raritan
Green Master Contractor Corp: Raritan
ALM Drywall, Inc: Raritan
UNION
M&M Construction Technology, Inc: Elizabeth Marcal Construction: Rahway (2)
NJ Masonry & Concrete, LLC: Summit
ZJ’s Enterprise Corp: Union
WPOP Internet Radio, LLC: Union
For more information on New Jersey's wage laws, visit myworkrights.nj.gov.
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Jon L. Gelman of Wayne, NJ, is the author of NJ Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thomson-Reuters) and co-author of the national treatise Modern Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thomson-Reuters). For over five decades, the Law Offices of Jon L Gelman 1.973.696.7900 jon@gelmans.com has represented injured workers and their families who have suffered occupational accidents and illnesses.
Blog: Workers ' Compensation
LinkedIn: JonGelman
LinkedIn Group: Injured Workers Law & Advocacy Group
Author: "Workers' Compensation Law" West-Thomson-Reuters
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