Executive Order Expanding NJ Worker Protections During Pandemic Effective Nov. 5
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 5, 2020
TRENTON – An executive order signed by Gov. Murphy last week to expand protections of Ó£»¨ÊÓƵ’s workforce during the Covid-19 pandemic went into effect today.
mandates private and public sector employers, including state and local government entities, to adhere to certain health and safety standards in an effort to protect employees and visitors at in-person workplaces. This includes requiring workers to be at least six feet apart whenever possible, and requiring employees and visitors to wear masks upon entering worksites with limited exceptions.
Employers must also: provide, at no cost, approved sanitization materials to employees and visitors; ensure employees exercise proper hand hygiene, including by providing them with sufficient break time to do so; sanitize frequently touched areas regularly per Department of Health and Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines; implement daily health checks per CDC guidance; require sick employees to stay home while also complying with any applicable leave laws; and give timely notification to employees of any known exposure to Covid-19 at the workplace.
Additional health and safety protocols already in place for certain businesses will continue to apply.
In response to the executive order, the Ó£»¨ÊÓƵ Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) has launched a website with information regarding the new health and safety requirements, as well as an intake form allowing employees to report suspected violations. The NJDOL will review the reports and, depending on the nature and severity of the complaint, will perform further fact-finding and investigation with support from the Department of Health.
“Our Number 1 goal is to protect the health, safety and economic security of workers and businesses during COVID-19,” said Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo. “Ó£»¨ÊÓƵ has a long and proud history of being a national leader in worker protections, and, thanks to Gov. Murphy, it continues with this executive order.”
_“It is not difficult to comply with these common-sense protocols,” the Commissioner continued. “We know an overwhelming majority of employers already are or soon will be in compliance with these standards – we hope that businesses and workers will do the right thing by protecting themselves and others in their families and community.”
_Both public- and private-sector workers are covered under the executive order.
_Local boards of health should refer reports related to Executive Order No. 192 to NJDOL at covid.safety@dol.nj.gov.
_Layoffs and Closings
