The New Jersey Supreme Court has ruled that a statutory amendment requiring payment of employees for pre- and post-shift work is to be applied prospectively, rather than retroactively.

The justices overturned a published Appellate Division ruling calling for retroactive application of recent revisions to New Jersey’s Wage Payment Law and Wage and Hour Law. Justice Douglas Fasciale, writing for the court, found that the Legislature’s use of the term “shall take effect immediately” signals prospective application.