Morris County business among 17 businesses added to the Workplace Accountability in Labor List for outstanding wage, benefit or tax law liabilities

NEW JERSEY – The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) added the names of 17 businesses to its Workplace Accountability in Labor List (The WALL), bringing to 145 the number of employers that have failed to address their outstanding liabilities for violations of wage, benefit or tax laws.

The 17 businesses owe a total of $2,083,795.07, including unpaid contributions to the Unemployment Compensation Fund and State Disability Benefits Fund. The 145 businesses posted to The WALL collectively owe $15.9 million – either directly to their workers or to the state for unpaid taxes or contributions.

One business was removed from The WALL in March after paying its liability of $23,000 to the Uninsured Employer’s Fund. To date, NJDOL has recovered more than $170,000 in outstanding liabilities from businesses posted to The WALL.

The WALL is a powerful enforcement tool that enables the department to publicly name companies that shortchange their workers and skip required contributions to programs such as unemployment insurance and workers’ compensation. The companies on the list have failed to resolve their fines and fees with NJDOL and the Department of the Treasury.

The initiative was established through bipartisan action (S-4226) in 2020 as part of an effort to combat worker misclassification and exploitation. It gives NJDOL power to protect fair-minded businesses across the state from employers that undercut their workers to gain a competitive edge. Any business whose name appears on The WALL is barred from public contracting with state, county, or local governments, until they pay their liabilities in full.

Posting on The WALL is separate from – and may be in addition to – other accountability measures, such as public contractor debarment and business license suspension or revocation. State, county, municipal and school procurement officers must cross-reference The WALL before awarding public contracts, as they do with the debarment list.

Businesses receive letters warning that their company’s name will be posted to The WALL unless they remedy their outstanding liabilities; they are given 20 days from the date they receive notice to pay in full or challenge their pending placement on The WALL.

The WALL can be viewed or downloaded here.

The 17 businesses added to The WALL in March are: