A recent decision by New Jersey’s Appellate Division makes it clear that a court must have clear proof an employee agreed to arbitration before an employer can force an employee to arbitrate her case. Nikki Cordero applied for a job with Fitness International, LLC, also known as LA Fitness International. …
New Jersey Employment Lawyer Blog
New Jersey Requires Hiring Preferences for Employees Terminated Due to Workplace Injury
New Hiring Preference A recent amendment to the New Jersey Workers’ Compensation statute now requires many employers to give a hiring preference to employees who lose their jobs as a result of a workplace injury. More specifically, the worker’s compensation statute now requires employers to provide a “hiring preference” to employees…
New Jersey Law Amended to Increase Protection Against Age Discrimination
Older worked forced to retire New Jersey has an extremely broad anti-discrimination law, the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (“LAD”). The LAD became even broader last Tuesday, October 5, 2021, when Governor Phil Murphy signed into law a new amendment that increases the statute’s protections against age discrimination by removing…
New Jersey Law Against Discrimination Permits Punitive Damages Against State and the Local Government
Earlier this month, in Pritchett v. State, the New Jersey Supreme Court confirmed that the state of New Jersey and municipalities remain subject to punitive damages under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (“LAD”). Shelley Pritchett worked for the State of New Jersey as a Senior Corrections Officer at the…
New Jersey Court Recognizes Importance of Recertifying FMLA Leave
A recent District of New Jersey opinion emphasizes the importance of recertifying an intermittent Family & Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”) leave when your employer asks you to do so. An intermittent leave is when you seek permission to take time off, as needed in the future. Matthew Calio is a…
Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Reinstated by New Jersey Appellate Court
One potential defense an employer has in a sexual harassment case is that the employee unreasonably failed to make use of the employer’s anti-harassment policy. A recent New Jersey Appellate Division opinion highlights the fact that this defense does not apply if the harassment led to an adverse employment action,…
Broken Promise of New Job Can Lead to Damages for Leaving Your Old Job
Earlier this year, the New Jersey Supreme Court recognized that an employee who quits a job to accept another job offer, only to have the new employer withdraw its offer, may be able to recover “reliance damages.” In other words, he might be able to recover damages based on the…
Lack of Evidence of Alleged Corporate Restructuring Can Prove Discrimination
A recent decision from the District of New Jersey concludes that, when an employer claims it fired an employee as part of a corporate restructuring, but has no documents to prove there was a restructuring, can be enough to prove age discrimination in violation of New Jersey law. In 2014,…
Two Racial Slurs Enough to Create Hostile Work Environment
Yesterday, a unanimous New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that two racially offensive slurs uttered by a supervisor can be enough to create a hostile work environment in violation of the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (“LAD”). Armando Rios, Jr. is Hispanic. He worked for Meda Pharmaceutical, Inc. as its Director…
New Jersey Supreme Court Finds Adverse Action Not Required for Failure to Accommodate Claim
Today, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that an employee does not need to suffer an adverse employment action to win a claim based on the employer’s failure to accommodate her disability under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (“LAD”). Mary Richter is a teacher for the Oakland Board of…