The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) has introduced  an innovative and user-friendly portal that makes it easier for employers to comply with state labor laws and advances worker protections on public job sites.  

The New Jersey Wage Hub provides the reporting mechanisms public works employers need to comply with the Prevailing Wage Act and Diane B. Allen Equal Pay Act.

The Prevailing Wage Act requires public works contractors to submit weekly payroll records, while the Diane B. Allen law safeguards workers against wage discrimination.

A law signed by Governor Murphy was enacted last week requiring public works contractors to submit weekly payroll records online.

The use of cloud technology will bring data together to improve enforcement and compliance and make it easier and more efficient for contractors and public bodies to comply with the law, the Labor Department explained.

“This digital platform builds on New Jersey’s proud history of strong worker protections and support to employers,” Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo said in a statement.

“Better tools, data, and analytics help us enforce labor laws and make playing by the rules easy and cost-effective for employers. The portal ultimately ensures we can protect our workers equitably, reward good-faith employers and provide appropriate support to employers that do not comply.”

Prior to this launch, leaders in the state relied on disparate data sources and were forced to collect, monitor and organize payrolls manually.

In addition to easing the burden on local contracting officials, the new platform modernizes these systems by making available portals for public works contractors to submit required data and internal tools that have built-in analytics and reporting functions.

Additionally, there soon will be a public-facing site that improves transparency and puts information in the hands of workers and those striving to protect them.