Beginning January 6, 2014, all New Jersey employers with at least 50 employees, whether working inside or outside of New Jersey, will be required to conspicuously post and distribute to employees a new gender equity notice. The notice advises employees of their rights to be free from gender inequity or bias in pay, compensation, benefits, or other employment terms and conditions under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Equal Pay Act of 1963. (For a detailed discussion of this notice requirement, see our article, New Jersey’s Mandatory Gender Discrimination Notice Available.) 

Additionally, on January 24, 2014, all private employers in Jersey City, New Jersey, must begin providing notice to their employees regarding sick leave time under Ordinance No. 13.097, which requires covered businesses to provide sick leave time to employees. Employers must display a notice in a “conspicuous and accessible place in each establishment where employees are employed.” (For more information, see our article, Jersey City Ordinance to Require Sick Leave for All Private Sector Employees Working in City.) The notice or poster must be in English and any language that is the first language of at least 10 percent of the employer’s workforce — provided the Jersey City Department of Health and Human Services (“DHHS”) has made such translation available. The DHHS has indicated it will be making posters available in the following five major languages in addition to English: Spanish, Hindi, Mandarin, Arabic, and Tagalic. Additionally, employers must provide this notice to each individual employee at the commencement of employment, or as soon as practicable if an employee is employed on January 24, 2014. 

Jersey City employers should consider posting and distributing the gender equity and sick leave notices to employees at the same time, on or prior to January 6, 2014, to avoid having to make two distributions. 

Luke P. Breslin also contributed to this article.