New Jersey HR guidance for practitioners.
Pick a topic below to see the federal rule, the NJ statute, and the practitioner steps Ask HR AI walks you through in a session.
New Jersey at a glance
- Report lookback: 7 years (FCRA default). New Jersey applies FCRA. Expunged records under N.J.S.A. §2C:52 must be suppressed.
- Ban-the-box: Statewide (Opportunity to Compete Act). Employers with 15+ workers may not inquire about criminal history on the initial application and may not publish ads excluding applicants with records.
- Salary history: Banned (N.J.S.A. §34:6B-20). Employers may not seek wage-history information. Effective June 2025, employers with 10+ workers must disclose pay range and general benefits in postings.
- Cannabis: Recreational legal; CREAMM Act protections. The Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act protects off-duty use; impairment must be established by a Workplace Impairment Recognition Expert (WIRE) once that program is finalized.
New Jersey topics
FCRA adverse action in New Jersey
The two-step FCRA adverse action process: pre-adverse notice with a copy of the report and Summary of Rights, a reasonable waiting period, and the final adverse action notice.
Read the NJ guideBan-the-Box and Fair Chance hiring in New Jersey
When employers may ask about criminal history, individualized assessment requirements, and the state and city ordinances that add rules on top of federal EEOC guidance.
Read the NJ guideWage and hour in New Jersey
FLSA exempt vs non-exempt classification, overtime rules, meal and rest breaks, off-the-clock work, and state daily-overtime rules that overlay the federal floor.
Read the NJ guideLeaves and accommodations in New Jersey
Coordinating FMLA, ADA reasonable accommodation, workers' comp, pregnancy accommodation, and state paid family and medical leave programs.
Read the NJ guideDrug testing and marijuana in New Jersey
Pre-employment, reasonable-suspicion, and post-accident drug testing across states with off-duty cannabis protections and safety-sensitive carve-outs.
Read the NJ guidePay transparency and pay equity in New Jersey
State and city pay range disclosure laws, pay equity analyses, and how to respond to an applicant's compensation question.
Read the NJ guideHarassment prevention and training in New Jersey
Mandatory sexual harassment training in CA, NY, IL, CT, DE, ME, WA — plus prevention policies, complaint channels, and Faragher/Ellerth defenses.
Read the NJ guideBackground check basics for HR in New Jersey
What a compliant employment background check includes, FCRA disclosure and authorization, and how to interpret common report components.
Read the NJ guideRelated SafestHires resources for New Jersey
- New Jersey background-check rules — the underlying state-screening reference.
- New Jersey FACIS healthcare screening — Medicaid exclusion and licensing boards.
- All states — jump to another state.