NJBIA Vice President of Government Affairs Alexis Bailey will appear on News 12’s Power & Politics with Alex Zdan this weekend to discuss NJBIA’s opposition to temporary worker legislation that was pulled from a Senate vote earlier this week.
The show, which also includes Make the Road New Jersey Director Sara Cullinane in support of the bill, will air on Saturday at 10 a.m., 4:30 p.m., and 6:30 p.m.; and Sunday at 11:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m., and 4:30 p.m.
The legislation, A-1474/S-511, had previously been approved by both houses of the Legislature but was conditionally vetoed by Gov. Phil Murphy, who returned it to lawmakers with recommended changes.
The Assembly has already concurred with those recommendations and Senate approval was needed before the legislation could be sent to the governor again for his signature.
NJBIA has done continuous outreach to lawmakers noting the bill would hurt temporary staffing agencies and the third-party businesses that utilize them.
Bailey also sent a memo to Senators prior to the vote, urging them to oppose the legislation. Senate President Nicholas Scutari said the bill was pulled because the votes for approval weren’t there. However, Scutari did anticipate it being reposted for a future vote.
“Despite the conditional veto, this legislation still goes far beyond what other states, such as Massachusetts and Illinois, have done to regulate temporary worker arrangements,” Bailey wrote.
For example, she cited an unworkable provision in the legislation that would require temporary workers to be paid the average compensation rate and the cash equivalent of the average cost of benefits paid to their employee counterparts.
“Temp agencies contract with multiple businesses that offer different benefits packages,” Bailey said. “These packages can encompass everything from 401k matches and health insurance to vacation days and life insurance policies. Calculating and providing payment for the average cost of these benefits packages will be a logistical challenge.
“This provision will so greatly drive up the cost of utilizing temp agencies that it will jeopardize the staffing industry, harming businesses in need of temporary labor as well as workers who prefer these jobs,” Bailey said. “States such as Illinois and Massachusetts that have taken steps to provide further protections and transparency for temporary laborers have done so without including this provision that will put the viability of temporary help service firm and third-party company relationships at risk.”
