01Dec

New Jersey COVID-19 Employment Update: Executive Order 192

The Covid-19 outbreak continues to lead to new laws and regulations in the workplace. The most recent is Executive Order 192, issued by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy which took effect on November 5, 2020. This Order requires employers with employees who are physically present at a workplace to adhere to strict safety requirements.

The Executive Order provides that every business, non-profit organization and governmental and educational entity must:

  • Require that individuals at the worksite maintain at least 6 feet of distance from one another to the maximum extent possible.
  • If the nature of the work does not allow for 6 feet of distance, employers must ensure that each such employee wears a mask and must install physical barriers between workstations wherever possible.

Two important measures included in the Executive Order are that the employer must:

  • Exclude sick employees from the workplace and follow requirements of applicable leave laws; and
  • Promptly notify employees of any known exposure to COVID-19 at the worksite.
Governor Murphy along with the New Jersey Department of Health and the Department of Labor and Workforce Development put these standards in place and have created a “COVID-19 Worker Protection Complaint Form” available on the New Jersey Department of Labor website, where you can anonymously report unsafe conditions.