Morris County restaurant among 8 businesses added to NJDOL ‘WALL’ for outstanding wage, benefit and tax law violations
NEW JERSEY — The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development added eight businesses this month to its Workplace Accountability in Labor List — known as “The WALL” — including a Dover-based restaurant corporation, according to the agency.
Any business listed on The WALL is barred from public contracting with state, county or local governments until outstanding liabilities are paid in full, the department said. NJDOL said the eight newly listed businesses owe a combined $414,593.39 in unpaid penalties tied to violations of the New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Law and the New Jersey Gross Income Tax Act.
The inclusion of El Marino Restaurant Corporation, which lists addresses at 68 Berry St. and 126 Mount Hope Ave. in Dover, is the only new addition located in Morris County among the eight businesses posted in January, according to NJDOL.
The department said the WALL initiative now includes 335 employers statewide who have failed to address outstanding liabilities related to wage, benefit or tax laws. Collectively, the listed businesses owe about $30.6 million, NJDOL said.
The department said it has recovered $778,190.93 to date from businesses posted to The WALL or warned they would be added unless they resolved their liabilities.
For the Dover-based business, NJDOL listed the violation as the Workers’ Compensation Law, with a final judgment or order dated June 18, 2024, and a total liability of $45,000. The posting date was Jan. 5, 2026, according to the agency.
NJDOL said businesses receive warning letters and are given 20 days from receipt of notice to pay in full or challenge the pending placement before being posted publicly.
The WALL went live in September 2023 with 36 businesses listed, NJDOL said, and additional employers with outstanding violations are added monthly. The department also noted that state, county, municipal and school procurement officers must cross-reference The WALL before awarding public contracts.
