Bills of Interest:
As budget break comes to a close, there are several labor bills of concern that we anticipate may be addressed in the coming weeks.
90-Day Retention of Service Employees
NJBIA strongly opposes S-2389/A-4682 (Singleton/Schaer) which would require a wide range of covered employers to retain service employees for 90 days following a change of ownership in their service contracts. This legislation broadly defines service employees to include security, food service, front desk, maintenance, and janitorial staff, among others and captures a wide range of covered employer locations including healthcare entities, large office buildings, warehouses, and pharmaceutical labs, among others. This bill is the most far-reaching iteration of employee retention mandates to date because the bill not only requires employee retention after the sale of a business, but also after a minor vendor. Additionally, the bill includes criminal penalties for employer violations. More information on the bill can be found here.
Salary Range Posting
We are seeking amendments on A-3937/S-3663 (Moriarty/Cruz-Perez) which would mandate employers include salary ranges in all new job postings and notice current employees about all promotion opportunities before offering a promotion to an employee. We are seeking amendments to remove the private right of action provision included in the bill, increase the employee threshold to exempt more small businesses and address concerns on the promotional notification requirements that could stifle employee advancement. We have suggested amending the bill to exempt incumbent specific promotions that do not necessarily create a new job opening from the bill so employers can reward employees based on years of service or performance without having to notify their entire workforce of the opportunity beforehand. More information on the bill can be found here.
Apprenticeship Program Requirement to Bid on Public Works Projects
NJBIA is supportive of S-3635/A-5279 (Singleton/Oroho/Wimberly) which would remove the requirement that public works contractors must participate in an apprenticeship program in order to bid on public works projects. While well intended as a workforce development tool, this requirement has created a significant barrier to entry for small businesses and limited their ability to bid on public works projects. If passed, this bill would create more competition in the marketplace and allow small businesses to increase their revenue by completing public projects. More information on the bill can be found here.
Upcoming Events:
NJBIA is hosting several in-person and virtual events this month. We encourage you to participate and share these opportunities with your colleagues.
Central Jersey Health Care Job Fair
We are excited to announce that the Middlesex County Workforce Development and Career Opportunity Office in partnership with the NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the New Jersey Business and Industry Association and the Home Care & Hospice Association of NJ will be hosting an in-person, Health Care Job Fair on Tuesday, May 9th from 10 am to 1pm. More information about the event can be found here. If you are interested in participating, please contact me as soon as possible.
Employment and Labor Policy Committee Meeting
Please join us for our virtual Employment and Labor Policy Committee meeting on Friday, May 12th at 9am via zoom. We will be joined by Assemblyman Reginald Atkins (D-20). To register for the meeting, please click here.
New Teen Working Papers and the 2023 Tourism Season Webinar
NJBIA will be joined by NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo to discuss the new online teen working papers process as well as local chamber and business leaders to discuss emergent issues affecting the shore and the upcoming 2023 tourism season. Leaders will discuss employing youth workers, J1 Visa concerns, housing challenges, the Boardwalk Grant Program, and more. This webinar will be held on Wednesday, May 24th at 2pm via zoom. You can register for the event here.
Federal Labor Issue:
FTC Non-compete Rule Proposal Comments
Earlier this year, the Federal Trade Commission issued a rule proposal to ban the use of noncompete agreements by employers. The comment period recently closed and NJBIA submitted comments opposing the rule as an overreach by the FTC that will harm the ability of employers to protect their legitimate business interests. More information about the rule proposal and NJBIA’s comments can be found here.
Other Information:
Rutgers University School of Management and Labor Relations Algorithmic Hiring Tools Survey
The Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations invites HR professionals to participate in a 20-minute online survey on the use of technology-driven hiring tools in New Jersey. Please complete this survey or forward it to an appropriate colleague at your organization to help Rutgers analyze how algorithmic hiring tools are being utilized in our state and the impact they have on employers and employees. All survey participants will receive a free electronic report summarizing the survey findings as well as an invitation to attend a future event organized by Rutgers University. Interested parties can access the survey here.
Please do not hesitate to contact Alexis Bailey at abailey@njbia.org if you have any questions or concerns regarding the bills outlined above or other policy priorities your organization may have. We hope to see you at our upcoming events.
