The Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court recently addressed when public employees can be required to forfeit their pensions due to dishonorable service. In Hollander v. Bd. of Trustees of the Police & Firemen’s Ret. Sys., the appeals court held that a former corrections officer should not be
Gov. Chris Christie has conditionally vetoed equal pay legislation. The proposed bill amends the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD) to strengthen protections against employment discrimination and promote equal pay for women. Modeled after the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, Senate Bill 992 would make it an unlawful
The Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court recently addressed when public employers can be held liable under the New Jersey Employer-Employee Relations Act, which prohibits the discharge of employees for union activity. In its decision, the court confirmed broad remedial authority of the Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC)
In a recent decision, the Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court interpreted several public employment statutes that impose hiring and promotional restrictions upon police departments in smaller New Jersey cities that are not of the “first class” or “second class” in population and which are not civil service
A New Jersey appeals court recently addressed when police officers are entitled to reimbursement of attorney’s fees and costs pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:14-155. Under the statute, attorneys’ fees are awarded to a police officer who obtains a dismissal of disciplinary charges filed against him, provided that the disciplinary charges “aris[e]
New Jersey municipalities should be aware that the state’s “ban the box” law went into effect on March 1, 2015. The New Jersey Opportunity to Compete Act prohibits employers from inquiring into an applicant’s criminal history during the initial employment application process. It also precludes employers from publishing job advertisements
In a recent decision, the Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court declined the Borough’s request to set a bright-line rule that completion of discovery or the commencement of a disciplinary appeal precluded a related retaliation suit. Instead, the court held that the imposition of estoppel involves a “fact-sensitive
As 2015 comes to a close, we will be taking a look back at the major public law issues that impacted New Jersey municipalities and other public entities. Particularly in the area of employment law, where this year saw a number of legal developments, including new laws and precedential court
