When your company hires employees in New Jersey, you are required to comply with federal, state, and local employment laws. There are a variety of human resources and labor policies in the workplace that differ by state. Through your employee handbook, employers can easily document and distribute the correct policies to their employees to comply with the laws of each state.
Creating your New Jersey Employee Handbook is a useful way to explain important policies and procedures, mitigate legal risk, and introduce employees to the expectations and operating practices of the organization.
Mosey has compiled the relevant policies a company with employees in New Jersey must consider.
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New Jersey Employee Handbook Policies
There are 10 state and local employee handbook policies in New Jersey.
Wage and Hour
New Jersey Reporting-Time Pay Policy
You are entitled to a minimum of one hour of pay if you report to work at Employer’s request, even if you work less. Reporting pay does not apply if Employer provides you with the minimum number of hours agreed upon before the workday begins.
New Jersey Lactation Break Policy
You are entitled to reasonable break time to express breast milk for up to one year after childbirth. Breaks will align with existing paid or unpaid breaks, with additional breaks coordinated with your supervisor.
Employer will provide a private, secure, and functional space for lactation that is not a bathroom, shielded from view, and close to your work area. If a dedicated space is unavailable, it will be made available when needed.
If providing breaks or space creates undue hardship on business operations, Employer may be exempt. Retaliation or discrimination against employees exercising their rights under this policy is prohibited.
Vacation, Sick, and Safe Leaves
New Jersey Earned Sick Leave Policy
Employees of Employer are entitled to earn one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to a maximum of 40 hours per year. Paid sick and safe time may be used for personal medical needs, to care for a family member with a health condition, for preventive medical care, during public health emergencies, or for counseling and legal assistance related to domestic violence.
Leaves of Absence
New Jersey Military Service Leave Policy
You are entitled to unpaid leave if called to state active duty while employed at Employer. Additionally, members of the Armed Forces may take up to three months of unpaid leave every four years for training or service schools. After completing training, you must apply for reinstatement within 10 days.
Upon returning from service, you have the right to be reinstated to your previous position or a comparable one, unless reinstatement is unreasonable due to circumstances within Employer.
New Jersey Domestic Violence Leave Policy
Employer must give employees up to 20 days of unpaid leave within 12 months for domestic violence or a sexually violent offense, including incidents involving family members. Employees must have worked at least 1,000 hours in the past 12 months and be employed by Employer with 25 or more employees. Leave can be taken intermittently and must be used within 12 months of the incident. Employees must provide written notice if possible and may need to provide documentation, which must be kept confidential by Employer unless authorized or required by law.
New Jersey Jury Duty Leave Policy
You are entitled to job-protected leave to serve as a juror. Unless directed otherwise by your manager, you should return to work at the completion of jury duty, even if for a partial day.
New Jersey Family Leave Policy
Employer provides you, if eligible, with 12 weeks of unpaid family and medical leave, in compliance with the New Jersey Family Leave Act (NJFLA).
You can take leave under this law for one of the following reasons:
- To care for or bond with a child, as long as the leave begins within one year of the child’s birth or placement for adoption or foster care;
- To care for a family member, or someone who is the equivalent of family, with a serious health condition; or
- During a state of emergency:
- To care for a family member, or someone who is the equivalent of family, who has been isolated or quarantined because of suspected exposure to a communicable disease; or
- To provide required care or treatment for a child if their school or place of care is closed by order of a public official due to an epidemic of a communicable disease or other public health emergency.
New Jersey Volunteer Emergency Responder Leave Policy
Employer offers job-protected leave to employees serving as volunteer emergency responders during emergencies. Employees must provide an advance notice before taking the leave and provide a copy of the incident report and a certification from the incident commander or official in charge after the leave to Employer.
Privacy
New Jersey Social Media Privacy Policy
Generally, Employer is prohibited from accessing your personal social media accounts and will not discipline or terminate an employee for refusing to disclose their social media login information or for denying to provide access to their social media accounts.
New Jersey Electronic Monitoring Policy
Employer is generally prohibited from electronically recording you without your consent
Employee handbook builder
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Federal Employee Handbook Policies
Regardless of which states you have employees in, there are required federal policies that must be included in your employee handbook. In addition to any state-specific policies, your employee handbook for New Jersey should contain the following federal policies.
- Anti-Harassment Policy
- Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy
- Anti-Retaliation Policy
- Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
- Reasonable Accommodation Policy
Handbook Policy Best Practices
In addition to the required federal policies, the following policies are best practices to include in your employee handbook.
- Prohibited Conduct Policy
- Violations Reporting Policy
- Workplace Violence Prevention Policy
- Weapons Policy
- Disciplinary Action Policy
- At-Will Employment
- Federal Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) Policy
