The New Jersey legislature has been busy crafting a host of new bills that could potentially become laws affecting employers in 2024. These include the Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights Law, Family Leave and Family Leave Insurance legislation, and bills addressing height and weight discrimination, nursing, pay transparency, wage and hour issues, workplace safety, artificial intelligence, non-disparagement agreements, and further rights for whistleblowers.

The Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights, Senate Bill 723, removes previous exceptions that had excluded domestic workers from the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination and state Wage and Hour Law. The bill will also establish new privacy rights for domestic workers and require employers to form written contracts with these employees, detailing required rest and break times among other protections.

The proposed Family Leave and Family Leave Insurance laws, Assembly Bill 5166 and Assembly Bill 5703 broaden the state’s Family Leave Act and Family Leave Insurance Law. These alterations include lowering the employee number threshold for job-protected leave requirements and adjusting Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI), Family Leave Insurance (FLI) benefits and leave eligibility. Assembly Bill 5084 also allows for family leave and TDI benefits in the event of loss of a child, unsuccessful adoption or unsuccessful fertility treatments.

Registered under Senate Bill 2741, a law prohibiting employment discrimination based on height and weight is in progress, with exceptions made for authentic employment occupational qualifications.

The New Jersey legislature is also working on expanding current nursing requirements through Senate Bill 3135 to provide more accommodations and rights for lactating employees.

Assembly Bill 3937 emphasizes pay transparency through requiring employers of ten or more employees to announce and post promotional opportunities.

Changes to the New Jersey Wage and Hour Law via Assembly Bill 5690 will mandate the payment of a minimum wage to minors with limited exceptions, and clear up confusion over overtime pay for 16-18 year-olds working during the summer. The bill also references the increase in New Jersey’s minimum wage to $15.13 per hour starting January 1, 2024.

Workplace safety is a key focus with the creation of Senate Bill 4243. This legislation establishes heat stress standards to protect employees from heat-related illness and injury.

Artificial Intelligence considerations are addressed in Assembly Bill 4909, which regulates the application of automated employment decisions to minimize hiring process discrimination.

Non-Disparagement Agreements and Whistleblowers have targeted legislation as well, with Assembly Bill 4521 and Assembly Bill 5637 aiming to extend restrictions and protections under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination and New Jersey Conscientious Employee Protection Act respectively.

New Jersey employers should keep abreast of these legislative changes as they could have significant implications for workplace practices and policies.