Trenton – Today, Acting Governor Way signed legislation into law sponsored by Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz and Senator Angela McKnight that protects workers’ rights, regardless of their immigration status, deters exploitation, and encourages reporting work site violations by penalizing employers who threaten to disclose an employee’s immigration status in furtherance of violating the state’s wage, benefit, or tax laws.
“No worker should be forced to turn a blind eye to their employer’s unlawful behavior out of fear of being prosecuted for their immigration status,” said Senator Ruiz (D-Essex/Hudson). “By establishing a penalty for employers who weaponized an employee’s immigration status against them to violate the law, we will protect worker’s rights and hold businesses accountable for exploitative behavior.”
The law, S-2869, imposes a civil penalty on any employer that discloses or threatens to disclose, an employee’s immigration status to a public body to conceal any violation of the state’s wage, benefit, and tax laws.
For example, an employer who does not pay appropriate wages would be subject to penalties under the wage payment law. If the employer who fails to pay appropriate wages also threatens an employee based on the employee’s immigration status to pressure the employee from reporting the violation, the employer would be subject to additional penalties under the bill.
“All employees, regardless of immigration status, deserve the right to a safe and fair work environment,” said Senator McKnight (D-Hudson). “This bill will discourage businesses from behaving unethically and will impose penalties for those found to have violated the law.”
The law protects all workers from various statuses including those that only have work authorization, work visas, and others.
The Senate approved the bill in a 34-0 vote. It passed the General Assembly in a 70-4-3 vote. The law will take effect immediately.