Official Site of The State of New Jersey

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 25, 2023

TRENTON – Investigators from the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s (NJDOL) Division of Wage and Hour and Contract Compliance issued the following stop-work order on July 18, 2023:

Employer: Blue Line Drywall and Builders Inc. of North Brunswick (subcontractor)

Work Location: 355/365 Broad St., Newark, NJ 07104

Nature of Work: Drywall installation at apartment/retail community.

Details: NJDOL’s Division Wage and Hour and Contract Compliance prompted the investigation as part of its Strategic Enforcement initiative focused on the drywall industry. Blue Line Drywall and Builders Inc. hired subcontractor NJ West Construction Inc. of Manville, which was also issued a stop-work order.

Violations: Improper classification of construction workers; failure to properly classify employees; minimum wage violations; failure to pay wages; earned sick leave records violations; earned sick leave notification/posting violations.

Number of Workers Affected: 9

Status: Hearing requested; adjournment requested.

NJDOL has issued 141 stop-work orders since these powers were expanded in July 2019.

Stop-work orders are initiated by NJDOL to halt work being performed in a manner that exploits workers, or is otherwise noncompliant with state laws and regulations. An employer may appeal a stop-work order, in which case NJDOL has seven days to schedule a hearing.

NJDOL continues to monitor locations where stop-work orders have been issued, and can assess civil penalties of $5,000 per day against an employer conducting business in violation of the order. The stop-work order may be lifted if and when any remaining back wages and penalties have been paid and all related issues have been resolved.

For more information on worker benefits and protections, please visit myworkrights.nj.gov.

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