Regular readers of our Morristown employment law blog will undoubtedly recall that we recently wrote about changes proposed by Governor Phil Murphy to the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD).
If the measure is passed, the Department of Civil Rights (DCR) would have to have in place a model policy for small employers (those with less than 50 employees), that could then input their specific information and adopt.
According to the National Law Review, the DCR’s model policy would include the following:
- Definitions of harassment and discrimination and examples of both
- A statement that rejects workplace harassment and discrimination
- A description of the company’s internal complaint process
- Instructions on how employees can contact the DCR in cases of alleged rights violations
- Statute of limitations explanations
- A statement rejecting retaliation against workers who allege discrimination or harassment
- A list of consequences for policy violations
- A statement of the employer’s commitment to prompt, impartial investigations of allegations
Employers with 50 or more workers would have to tailor policies to its industry and workplace and include the following:
- Multiple channels employees can use to report discrimination or harassment
- A description of the company’s investigation and response processes
Employers of all sizes will be required to conduct annual reviews of their policies. They’ll also be required to provide copies of employment policies when workers are hired; when employees file complaints; before complaint-related interviews are conducted; and whenever the policies are updated.
We will have more on the governor’s proposed changes in an upcoming blog post. Please check back for updates.
