New Jersey § 34:1a-1

§ 34:1a-1.

a. (1) If the commissioner determines that an employer has violated any State wage, benefit and tax law, including but not limited to a violation

of R.S.34:15-79 , or failed to meet obligations required by R.S.43:21-7 or R.S.43:21-14 , or violated any provision of P.L.1940, c. 153 ( C.34:2-21.1 et seq. ) or P.L.1989, c. 293 ( C.34:15C-1 et al.) , the commissioner shall, as an alternative to, or in addition to, any other actions

taken in the enforcement of those laws, notify the employer of the determination and

have an audit of the employer and any successor firm of the employer conducted not

more than 12 months after the determination. (2) If the commissioner is notified pursuant to subsection g. of this section of a

conviction of an employer, the commissioner shall, as an alternative to, or in addition

to, any other actions taken in the enforcement of the laws violated by the employer,

have an audit of the employer and any successor firm of the employer conducted not

more than 12 months after receipt of the notification. b. If, in an audit conducted pursuant to subsection a. of this section, the commissioner

determines that the employer or any successor firm to the employer has continued in

its failure to maintain or report records as required by those laws or continued in

its failure to pay wages, benefits, taxes or other contributions or assessments as

required by those laws, or if the commissioner is notified pursuant to subsection

g. of this section of a conviction of the employer and the offense resulting in the

conviction occurred subsequent to an audit conducted pursuant to subsection a. of

this section, the commissioner: (1) May, after affording the employer or successor firm notice and an opportunity

for a hearing in accordance with the provisions of the “Administrative Procedure Act,”

P.L.1968, c. 410 ( C.52:14B-1 et seq. ), issue a written determination directing any appropriate agency to suspend any one

or more licenses that are held by the employer or successor firm, for a period of

time determined by the commissioner. In determining the length of a suspension, the commissioner shall consider any of

the following factors which are relevant: (a) The number of employees for which the employer or successor firm failed to maintain

or report required records and pay required wages, benefits, taxes or other contributions

or assessments; (b) The total amount of wages, benefits, taxes or other contributions or assessments

not paid by the employer or successor firm; (c) Any other harm resulting from the violation; (d) Whether the employer or successor firm made good faith efforts to comply with

any applicable requirements; (e) The duration of the violation; (f) The role of the directors, officers or principals of the employer or successor

firm in the violation; (g) Any prior misconduct by the employer or successor firm; and (h) Any other factors the commissioner considers relevant; and (2) Shall conduct a subsequent audit or inspection of the employer or any successor

firm of the employer not more than 12 months after the date of the commissioner's

written determination. c. If, in the subsequent audit or inspection conducted pursuant to subsection b. of

this section, the commissioner determines that the employer or successor firm has

continued in its failure to maintain or report records as required pursuant to State

wage, benefit and tax laws, as defined in section 1 of this act, and continued in

its failure to pay wages, benefits, taxes or other contributions or assessments as

required by those laws, or if the commissioner is notified pursuant to subsection

g. of this section of a conviction of the employer for an offense occurring after

the audit conducted pursuant to subsection b. of this section, the commissioner, after

affording the employer or successor firm notice and an opportunity for a hearing in

accordance with the provisions of the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.

410 ( C.52:14B-1 et seq. ), shall issue a written determination directing any appropriate agency to permanently

revoke any one or more licenses that are held by the employer or any successor firm

to the employer and that are necessary to operate the employer or successor firm. d. Upon receipt of any written determination of the commissioner directing an agency

to suspend or revoke a license pursuant to this section, and notwithstanding any other

law, the agency shall immediately suspend or revoke the license. e. In instances where an employee leasing company has entered into an employee leasing

agreement with a client company pursuant to P.L.2001, c. 260 ( C.34:8-67 et seq. ), any written determination by the commissioner directing agencies to suspend an

employer license pursuant to subsection b. of this section, or revoke an employer

license pursuant to subsection c. of this section, for a failure or continued failure

to keep records regarding, and to pay, wages, benefits and taxes pursuant to State

wage, benefit and tax laws, shall be for the suspension or revocation of the licenses

of the client company and not the licenses of the employee leasing company if the

commissioner determines that the failure or continued failure was caused by incomplete,

inaccurate, misleading, or false information provided to the employee leasing company

by the client company. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as diminishing or limiting the authority

or obligation of the commissioner to rescind the registration of an employee leasing

company pursuant to the provisions of section 10 of P.L.2001, c. 260 ( C.34:8-76 ). f. If, in the course of an audit or inspection conducted pursuant to this section,

the commissioner discovers that an employee of the employer or of any successor firm

of the employer has failed to provide compensation to the employee as required under

any of the State wage and hour laws as defined in R.S.34:11-57 , then the commissioner shall initiate a wage claim on behalf of the employee pursuant

to R.S.34:11-58 . g. Upon the conviction of an employer under subsection a. of section 10 of P.L.1999, c. 90 ( C.2C:40A-2 ), section 13 of P.L.2019, c. 212 ( C.34:11-58.6 ), subsection a. of section 10 of P.L.1965, c. 173 ( C.34:11-4.10 ), subsection a. of section 25 of P.L.1966, c. 113 ( C.34:11-56a24 ), or N.J.S.2C:20-2 if the property stolen consists of compensation the employer failed to provide to

an employee under any State wage and hour law as defined in R.S.34:11-57 , the prosecutor or the court shall notify the commissioner of the employer's conviction. h. In the alternative to proceedings under the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968,

c. 410 ( C.52:14B-1 et seq. ) in accordance with the provisions of subsection b. of this section, and in addition

to any other actions taken in the enforcement of the laws violated by any employer,

the commissioner shall have the authority, to be exercised in the commissioner's sole

discretion, to bring enforcement actions for any violation of any State wage, benefit

and tax law, including but not limited to a violation of R.S.34:15-79 , or a failure to meet obligations required by R.S.43:21-7 or R.S.43:21-14 , or for a violation of any provision of P.L.1940, c. 153 ( C.34:2-21.1 et seq. ) or P.L.1989, c. 293 ( C.34:15C-1 et al.), in the Office of Administrative Law or in the Superior Court for the county

in which the violation occurred. When the commissioner, including any of the commissioner's authorized representatives

in the Office of the Attorney General, brings an action in the Office of Administrative

Law or Superior Court which seeks relief on behalf of any individual for any of the

above violations, communications between members of the Attorney General's office

and that individual shall be privileged as would be a communication between an attorney

and a client. i. In any enforcement action brought under subsection h. of this section, the commissioner,

including any of the commissioner's authorized representatives in the Office of the

Attorney General, may initiate the action by making, signing, and filing a verified

complaint against the employer. If the action is brought by the commissioner in Superior Court, a jury trial may

be requested upon the application of any party. If the commissioner is a prevailing plaintiff in the action, any and all remedies

available by law shall be available on behalf of any named or unnamed victims as if

the claims were brought directly by the victims. In addition to any remedies sought on behalf of the named or unnamed victims, the

commissioner shall be entitled to seek any fines, penalties or administrative assessments

authorized by law, including but not limited to penalties for misclassification set

forth in section 1 of P.L.2019, c. 373 ( C.34:1A-1.18 ). If the suit seeks relief for one or more unnamed members of a class, the commissioner

shall have the discretion to settle the suit on the terms the commissioner deems appropriate. If the commissioner is a prevailing plaintiff, the court shall award reasonable

attorney's fees and litigation and investigation costs. j. At any time after the filing of any verified complaint under subsection i. of this

section, or whenever it appears to the commissioner that an employer has engaged in,

is engaging in, or is about to engage in, any violation of a State wage, benefit or

tax law, including a violation of R.S.34:15-79 or any failure to meet obligations required by R.S.43:21-7 or R.S.43:21-14 , or has violated any provision of P.L.1940, c. 153 ( C.34:2-21.1 et seq. ) or P.L.1989, c. 293 ( C.34:15C-1 et al.), the commissioner may proceed against the employer in a summary manner in

the Superior Court of New Jersey to obtain an injunction prohibiting the employer

from continuing or engaging in the violation or doing any acts in furtherance of the

violation, to compel compliance with any of the provisions of this Title, or to prevent

violations or attempts to violate any of those provisions, or attempts to interfere

with or impede the enforcement of those provisions or the exercise or performance

of any power or duty under this Title. Prospective injunctive relief against an employer shall also be available as a remedy

to the commissioner as a prevailing plaintiff in any enforcement action under subsection

i. of this section.