The Business Growth Protection Act amends existing laws in New Jersey concerning temporary help service firms and temporary laborers. It introduces a definition for "designated classification placement" and clarifies that temporary laborers do not include agricultural crew leaders registered under federal law. The bill mandates that temporary help service firms maintain detailed records of transactions involving temporary laborers, including hours worked and wages, and requires that laborers receive itemized statements of their earnings. It also prohibits firms from charging laborers for cashing checks or conducting background checks. Additionally, the act establishes penalties for third-party clients who fail to maintain accurate time records and ensures that temporary laborers are compensated for unutilized work hours while protecting their rights to accept permanent positions with clients.

Further provisions of the bill include stricter certification requirements for temporary help service firms, such as proof of unemployment insurance and workers' compensation coverage, along with civil penalties for non-compliance. The act modifies the calculation of placement fees to be based on hourly commission rates rather than daily rates and requires that temporary laborers be paid at least the entry-level pay rate of the third-party client for similar work. It also revises the pay equity provision to ensure equal pay for temporary laborers and reduces the surety bond requirement for firms. Notably, the bill protects temporary laborers from retaliation for exercising their rights and eliminates the obligation for firms to disclose pay rates to clients or bill rates to laborers, thereby safeguarding proprietary information.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 34:8D-2, 34:8D-4, 34:8D-6, 34:8D-7, 34:8D-8, 34:8D-10