On September 21, 2012, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed into law a bill that will require New Jersey employers with 50 or more employees to post and distribute to employees a notice of their right to be free from gender-based pay discrimination in the workplace, and obtain employees’ acknowledgment of receipt of the notice. The distribution requirements of the new law are extensive.

Covered employers are required to distribute a copy of the notice: (1) to all employees no later than 30 days after it is issued by the NJDOL; (2) at the time of an employee’s hiring; (3) to all employees annually on or before December 31 of each year; and (4) at any time upon the first request of an employee.

The notice, which will be prepared by the New Jersey Department of Labor in several languages, is not expected to be available until early- to mid-2013. For more information about this new law, including details about the ability to distribute the notice by email or intranet, see the New Jersey eAuthority.

Mark Diana is the managing shareholder of the firm’s Morristown, NJ office, Evan J. Shenkman serves as senior knowledge management counsel for the firm based in Morristown, and Allyson M. Smith is an associate in the firm’s Morristown office.