Professional Documents
Culture Documents
New Jersey will become the first state in the country to force employers to pay severance to laid-off
workers, as Gov. Phil Murphy signed the landmark legislation into law Tuesday.
The law (S3170) requires that New Jersey employers with at least 100 employees provide their
workers 90 days notice — up from 60 — before a large layoff or a plant closing or transfer that will
put at least 50 people out of work. It would also force these businesses to pay their workers one
week’s severance for every year of service. The payout increases by an additional four weeks if the
More than 30,000 workers nationwide lost their jobs, including some 2,000 in New Jersey, when
the famous retail giant closed its doors. Employees were initially let go without severance. Two of
the private equity funds that owned Toys R’Us, facing public pressure, have since established a $20
“When these corporate takeover artists plunge the companies into bankruptcy they walk away with
windfall profits and pay top executives huge bonuses, but the little guys get screwed,” state Sen. Joe
Cryan, D-Union, who sponsored the bill, said in a statement. “The law will now be upgraded to
better protect the rights of the employees. Workers’ performance and workers’ dedication to the
company were secondary. Now, hopefully, they’ll be moved more to the forefront.”
United For Respect, a nonprofit group advocating for the legislation has said New Jersey is the first
Meanwhile, the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, which represents 20,000 businesses
here, has warned the bill will deter companies from locating or expanding in New Jersey.