More than a year has passed since Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law the Temporary Workers’ Bill of Rights. Many questions remain about the law for temporary staffing agencies and the companies that use temporary laborers in the designated categories. In July 2023, the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development posted proposed regulations in an attempt to provide guidance and clarity around the law. The regulations have yet to be finalized. The stakes are high for both temporary staffing agencies and the companies that use them due to the joint liability provisions in the statute. This article will provide an overview of who the law applies to, the pay equity provision, and what temporary staffing agencies and the companies who use them should consider as they wait for the final regulations.

New Jersey Leads the Movement for Affirmative Protections for Temporary Workers

On Feb. 6, 2023, Murphy signed into law the Temporary Workers’ Bill of Rights. According to the legislative findings and declarations related to temporary workers, the New Jersey Legislature found that at least 127,000 individuals work for temporary help service firms also known as temporary staffing agencies. The findings further cite to data that full-time temporary laborers earn 41% less than workers in traditional work arrangements. Further, the findings indicated that low-wage temporary laborers are vulnerable to abuse of labor rights such as unpaid wages, failure to pay for all hours worked, minimum wage and overtime violations, and unsafe working conditions.