What employers in New Jersey must do
Checked November 8, 2026From the agencies that run each program
Short answer
Employers in New Jersey must pay most workers at least $15.92 an hour, rising to $16.48 on January 1, 2027.
New Jersey runs a paid leave program, New Jersey Family Leave and Temporary Disability Insurance, funded in 2026 by 0.23% of wages for Family leave insurance and 0.19% of wages (employee share) for Temporary disability insurance.
New Jersey employers covered by RetireReady NJ that don’t offer a qualified retirement plan must register by their deadline.
The next employer deadline in New Jersey is December 1, 2026: Registration deadline for employers with 20 to 24 employees.
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New Jersey requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Status | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage | In effect | $15.92 an hour for most workers; $16.48 from January 1, 2027 |
| Paid leave: New Jersey Family Leave and Temporary Disability Insurance | In effect | Every employer covered by New Jersey’s unemployment law is also covered by the Temporary Disability Benefits Law. A business becomes an employer once it employs one or more people and pays $1,000 or more in wages in a calendar year, or if it is subject to the federal unemployment tax (FUTA). The federal government is exempt, and Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) is optional for local governments. Employees who work a significant amount of time outside New Jersey generally aren’t covered. |
| Retirement mandate: RetireReady NJ | In effect | Private employers, for-profit or nonprofit, that at no time during the previous calendar year employed fewer than 10 employees in New Jersey, have been in business at least two years, and have not offered a qualified retirement plan in the preceding two years. Part-time and full-time employees count the same. Count only workers who get a W-2 and whose wages have New Jersey income tax withheld, not 1099 contractors. Employees are 18 or older and live in New Jersey or work for a New Jersey employer. Workers co-employed through a professional employer organization (PEO) or employee leasing company count as the client company’s. Government employers are excluded. Smaller or newer businesses may join voluntarily. The program notifies covered employers by mail with an Access Code. |
Pay rules New Jersey employers must follow
- Paydays
- At least twice a month on regular paydays set in advance. Executive, supervisory and some other classes of employees may be paid monthly.
- Final paycheck, fired
- By the next regular payday.
- Final paycheck, quit
- By the next regular payday.
- Meal breaks
- No state requirement for adults.
- Rest breaks
- No state requirement for adults.
- Overtime
- State law matches the federal rule: time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek.
- New hire reporting
- Within 20 days of hire or rehire, to the New Jersey Child Support Employer Services Portal. State law also requires independent contractors transacting business in New Jersey to be reported as new hires.
From the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development and the U.S. Department of Labor’s state tables, checked November 8, 2026.
What changed in New Jersey
· New law
New Jersey extends RetireReady NJ to employers with 10 or more employees
A law approved January 20, 2026 (P.L.2025, c.379) lowered the RetireReady NJ threshold from 25 employees to 10. Employers without a qualified retirement plan that have 20 to 24 employees must register by December 1, 2026, and those with 10 to 19 by February 17, 2027.
Upcoming New Jersey deadlines
· Retirement mandate
RetireReady NJ: Registration deadline for employers with 20 to 24 employees
· Paid leave
New Jersey Family Leave and Temporary Disability Insurance: Fourth-quarter 2026 NJ-927 and WR-30 reports and payment due
No extension applies even though the date falls on a Saturday.
· Retirement mandate
RetireReady NJ: Registration deadline for employers with 10 to 19 employees
· Paid leave
New Jersey Family Leave and Temporary Disability Insurance: New fiscal-year employer contribution rates begin, including each employer’s Temporary Disability Insurance rate
Rate notices are posted through Employer Access.
· Paid leave
New Jersey Family Leave and Temporary Disability Insurance: Third-quarter 2027 NJ-927 and WR-30 reports and payment due
No extension applies even though the date falls on a Saturday.
· Paid leave
New Jersey Family Leave and Temporary Disability Insurance: Fourth-quarter 2027 NJ-927 and WR-30 reports and payment due
No extension applies even though the date falls on a Sunday.
· Paid leave
New Jersey Family Leave and Temporary Disability Insurance: First-quarter 2028 NJ-927 and WR-30 reports and payment due
No extension applies even though the date falls on a Sunday.
· Paid leave
New Jersey Family Leave and Temporary Disability Insurance: New fiscal-year employer contribution rates begin, including each employer’s Temporary Disability Insurance rate
Rate notices are posted through Employer Access.
· Paid leave
New Jersey Family Leave and Temporary Disability Insurance: Second-quarter 2028 NJ-927 and WR-30 reports and payment due
No extension applies even though the date falls on a Sunday.
Deadline calendar for every state · How to hire your first employee · Employer law changes for 2027 · All states
Sources
- New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development
- New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL), Division of Temporary Disability and Family Leave Insurance
- New Jersey Secure Choice Savings Board, New Jersey Department of the Treasury
- State Payday Requirements (last revised January 1, 2023), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
- Minimum Length of Meal Period Required under State Law for Adult Employees in Private Sector (last revised January 1, 2023), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
- Minimum Paid Rest Period Requirements Under State Law for Adult Employees in Private Sector (last revised January 1, 2023), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
- State Minimum Wage Laws, including premium (overtime) pay after designated hours (updated November 5, 2026), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
- Wage and Hour worker FAQs, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Division of Wage and Hour Compliance (read Nov 8, 2026)
- Reporting Fundamentals, New Jersey Child Support Employer Services Portal (read Nov 8, 2026)