To help prevent wages from being stolen and help retrieve some of this money, Jersey City has passed a Wage Theft Prevention Ordinance. Under the ordinance, the City will have the power to deny or suspend an employer’s Jersey City issued business license if the employer is found guilty of wage theft and refuses to address the violation.
If an employer is found guilty of wage theft, he or she has 90 days to solve the violation. The employer may be asked to provide documentation showing that the violation was solved when he or she applies for a business license or license renewal. The requested documentation must be submitted within 30 days. If the requested documentation is not provided during that period, the employer’s business will be suspended or the license renewal application will be denied.
As stated in the ordinance, employers applying for a business license or license renewal will have to certify under penalty of perjury whether he or she was found liable of wage theft during the last 24 months. Jersey City will suspend a business license or deny a license renewal application if the employer is found guilty of making a false statement. The ordinance will go into effect Thursday, October 1, 2015.