Flames That Forged Justice

 The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire and the Birth of American Labor Rights

Undocumented Workers Win Pay Case

Lopez v. Marmic LLC is a landmark New Jersey Supreme Court decision handed down on March 19, 2026, and it sends a clear message to employers: hiring someone without work authorization does not give you a free pass to skip paying them.

Outdoor Bans Reshape Worker Claims

How Smoke-Free Outdoor Spaces Are Transforming Workers' Compensation Law

Cotton's Thread Through American Labor

How the Empire of Cotton Transformed Workers from Enslaved to Exploited

Amazon's Misclassification Strips Workers' Safety Net

When a back injury should mean temporary disability benefits, but instead means choosing between rent and recovery—that's the hidden cost of worker misclassification. New Jersey's recent lawsuit against Amazon exposes how labeling employees as independent contractors strips away critical workers' compensation protections, leaving injured workers financially vulnerable during their most precarious moments.

Workers’ Compensation Benefits for Long COVID

 New Jersey Workers' Compensation Benefits for Long COVID: A Comprehensive Update

Understanding Your Rights Under New Jersey's Enhanced Protections for Essential Workers

NJ's Minimum Wage Climbs Higher

 Garden State Workers to See $15.92 Hourly Rate in 2026

New Jersey's minimum wage landscape is undergoing another change. Starting January 1, 2026, most employees across the Garden State will see their minimum hourly wage increase to $15.92, marking a $0.43 jump from the current rate. This announcement from the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development continues the state's commitment to ensuring workers receive a livable wage.

NJ Fights Worker Misclassification

Worker misclassification has become a significant battleground in New Jersey, with state labor officials taking increasingly aggressive action against employers who improperly classify employees as independent contractors. Recent enforcement actions demonstrate the state's commitment to protecting workers' rights and ensuring access to crucial benefits.

New Jersey Workers' Compensation Rates Increase for 2026

Luxury Car Transporter Pays $455K for Misclassifying Drivers

The State of New Jersey continues to diligently pursue violations of employment status misclassification and independent contractor relationships. 

COVID-19 Supplemental Benefits for Healthcare Workers Proposed in Legislation

Legislation (A3504) has been introduced to establish the Health Care Workers COVID-19 Supplemental Benefits Program in the Division of Workers' Compensation.

NJ Rates to Rise in 2024

New Jersey is set to become one of a handful of states with a minimum wage of at least $15/hour on January 1, 2024 when the rate increases to $15.13/hour, surpassing the goal set by Governor Murphy and the Legislature in 2019. 

Misclassification Lawsuit Filed by NJ Attorney General

Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo announced today that they have filed the first lawsuit under a 2021 law that permits the State to file suit in New Jersey Superior Court against employers who have misclassified workers as independent contractors when they are, in fact, employees.

Another Class of Benefits Proposed for Workers’ Compensation

The NJ Legislature is considering expanding the multitiered program to compensate the victims of industrial illness. This time a supplemental benefit program is being offered to compensate healthcare workers who contracted COVID-19.

NJ Targets Rampant Misclassification of Drywall Workers

In its second strategic enforcement initiative, focusing on the drywall industry, the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) reached a first-of-its-kind enhanced compliance agreement with Donald Drywall, L.L.C. of Lakewood after investigators found the subcontractor had committed numerous wage and hour, earned sick leave, and employee misclassification violations.

NJ Industry Groups Challenge The Temporary Workers’ Rights Law

In February 2023, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed a new law that would give temporary workers in the state more protections.

Temporary Workers Bill of Rights Act Signed into Law by Governor Pat Murphy.

The New Jersey State Senate concurred with Governor Pat Murphy's recommendations in his conditional veto of the temporary workers’ bill of rights bill. A1474 The revised legislation was passed by the Senate on Thursday. It was signed into law on Monday by Governor Murphy for his signature.

NJ Issues Stop-Work Orders for Lack of Workers’ Compensation Insurance

Enforce continues at a rapid pace in New Jersey for failure to comply with the state’s labor laws. The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) issued stop-work orders to contractor HESP Solar L.L.C. of Montvale and subcontractor Patriot Iron Works of Gaithersburg, Maryland, who were working on a project at Belleville High School.

Uber Pays $100M Fine in NJ Driver Misclassification Case

Uber Technologies Inc. and a subsidiary have submitted a $100 million payment to the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s (NJDOL’s) Unemployment Trust Fund after an audit found the ride-share companies improperly classified hundreds of thousands of drivers as independent contractors, depriving them of crucial safety-net benefits such as unemployment, temporary disability, and family leave insurance, and failed to make required contributions toward unemployment, temporary disability, and workforce development.

NJDOL Uses Expanded Powers to Stop Worker Exploitation at Job Sites

In the three years since Governor Murphy signed a law expanding NJDOL’s powers to stop work on a job site when there is strong evidence workers are being exploited, the department has issued 71 stop-work orders, through which agents found nearly $1 million in back wages owed to 235 workers.