This past November the voters of New Jersey approved a ballot question both raising the state minimum wage and amending the State Constitution to tie future increases to inflation.  Here iswhat employers need to know:

1.  Effective January 1, 2014  the state minimum wage for almost all employees has increased from $7.25 per hour to $8.25. 

2.  Going forward, the state minimum wage will be increased every January 1 in accordance with an increase in the federal government’s consumer price index for all urban wage earners and clerical workers (commonly referred to as the CPI-W) as of the preceding September 30.

Employers should also be aware that if at any time the federal minimum wage should surpass that which is provided by the State Constitution’s formula, the state minimum wage will be automatically increased to match the federal wage rate.  Employers with employees in New Jersey should replace their New Jersey State Wage and Hour Law Abstract poster with the new poster [click here to download] that reflects the change.