TRENTON, N.J. — As part of its ongoing Strategic Enforcement initiative focused on the retail, coin-operated laundromat industry, the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) has partnered with the Coin Laundry Association (CLA) to provide hands-on help to laundromat owners to increase awareness of workers’ rights and share best practices that eliminate worker exploitation and prevent repeated violations of the state’s wage and hour laws.
“Communication, education and engagement with industry stakeholders plays a huge role in enhancing compliance across this industry,” says Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo. “We’ve made it a priority to provide dedicated outreach and tailored education to laundromat employers so they can remain compliant with state labor laws.”
Efforts include a joint presentation that featured NJDOL Wage and Hour Division staff and CLA leadership, who discussed topics such as earned sick leave, minimum wage, overtime, and misclassification. The free webinar was attended by CLA members operating laundromat businesses in New Jersey, and the recorded presentation is available on the association’s website.
“We believe that all small businesses should adhere carefully to all state and federal labor laws and requirements, and we look forward to facilitating more education for our members with the aim of taking the best possible care of laundromat employees,” says Brian Wallace, CLA’s president and CEO.
Working with CLA has allowed NJDOL to directly communicate important updates and best practices for compliance with Garden State laundromat owners, the agency says. CLA has co-hosted outreach events, posted current state laws and regulations on its website, shared a video message with CLA members and subscribers via social media, and included information about NJDOL’s Strategic Enforcement initiative in its publication.
New Jersey employers and employees can learn more about earned sick leave at mysickdays.nj.gov and wage and hour compliance by reviewing the state’s wage and hour laws.
RELATED STORY: NJ Dept. of Labor Finds Violations in Laundromats Probe, April 24
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