Gov. Chris Christie recently signed a bill into law that will make direct deposit mandatory for many state and municipal employees. Under P.L. 2013, c.28, direct deposit will be required for all State employee compensation on and after July 1, 2014. New Jersey’s direct deposit law also allows county, county
The New Jersey Supreme Court recently upheld an arbitration award in a dispute between a municipality and local labor union. In doing so, it highlighted that courts should give great deference to arbitration awards in New Jersey public-sector labor disputes so long as they are reasonably debatable. The Facts of
A recent decision by the Appellate Division clarifies the authority of a New Jersey mayor to authorize a layoff plan for municipal employees without first obtaining the consent of the township council. In Hillside Firemen’s Mutual Benevolent Ass’n v. Menza, the court held that a municipality operating under the mayor-council
The Appellate Division recently ruled that the City of Camden’s furlough plan violated the rights of the city’s municipal clerk under N.J.S.A. 40A:9-165. The statute is designed to protect the salaries of certain municipal employees, including clerks, from economic discrimination and keep them free from political pressure. In the Matter
In New Jersey Association of School Administrators v. Cerf, three New Jersey superintendents challenged the authority of the Department of Education to adopt and implement amended regulations capping superintendents’ salaries. However, the Appellate Division recently rejected these efforts, finding that the salary cap was a valid way to satisfy the
The New Jersey Supreme Court refused to give a New Jersey public employee a second bite at the apple. It held that the rejection of a claim of employer retaliation in a civil service disciplinary proceeding should bar the employee from seeking to circumvent that discipline through a subsequent Conscientious
In an interesting discrimination case working its way though the federal court system, the New Jersey Port Authority maintains that it is not covered by the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD). The argument relies on an unpublished Third Circuit Court of Appeals decision that appears to suggest that the
New Jersey has one of the best public school systems in the country and ranks second in per pupil spending. However, many argue that New Jersey’s tenure program for teachers is in dire need of an overhaul to keep the most effective teachers in the classroom. Under New Jersey’s current
