As of November 5th, all New Jersey employers are required to comply with COVID-19-related health and safety requirements. Gov. Murphy’s (D) Executive Order 192 created requirements for specific industries and included guidance documents for employers in the state. The executive order requires that employers screen all workers before each shift, provide sanitizing materials to workers, provide breaks for employees to wash their hands, and routinely clean and disinfect all high-touch surfaces. Additionally, workers are required to maintain social distancing whenever possible, be made aware if they have been exposed to COVID-19 at the workplace, and wear face coverings, which must be provided free of charge by the employer. The executive order creates an interagency enforcement program between the state’s Department of Labor and Department of Health, which will investigate allegations of violations of the order. Together the agencies will have authority to perform workplace inspections, interview witnesses, and issue subpoenas. Violations of the order could face imprisonment and fines up to $1,000, as well as forced business closure.
