By Michael Homans
May 2024
James Madison’s butler might be proud.
The Garden State has adopted the New Jersey “Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights” to give such workers – who are often exempted from generally applicable employment laws – more protections.
Most importantly the new law, which takes effect in July, provides that domestic workers (employees and contractors) will be covered by the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination and the New Jersey Wage and Hour Law, with few exceptions (such as certain individuals caring for a family member).
“Domestic worker” is defined in the legislation to include these services: caring for a child, serving as a companion or caretaker for a sick, disabled, convalescing or elderly person, housekeeping and house cleaning, cooking, food or butler service, parking cars, doing laundry, gardening, personal organizing, or any other domestic service.
The law establishes notice obligations, meal breaks after five consecutive hours worked, two weeks’ notice for most terminations, and penalties for violations. For further details, see approved bill here.
Michael Homans is an employment lawyer and litigator based in Philadelphia and Wayne, Pennsylvania. He can be reached at mhomans@homanspeck.com or (215) 419-7477.