Background Employment as a teacher and in many other New Jersey public school positions requires that the employee hold a certificate to work in their positions. However, under certain circumstances, these certificates can be suspended or revoked, rendering the employee ineligible to work in their chosen profession. The New Jersey…
In New Jersey Civil Service, hiring and promotion are done in accordance with the applicant’s (or “eligible’s”) rank on a list. There are specific reasons why an applicant may be removed from a Civil Service list. However, sometimes removal is done because of favoritism, nepotism, politics, discrimination, whistleblower retaliation, cronyism,…
Arbitrators make the final decision in hearings on tenure charges. Appeals are limited. However, the scope of their powers to fashion appropriate discipline was open to question. As I wrote last year, the Appellate Division of New Jersey’s Superior Court ruled in the case of Sanjuan v. School District of…
New Jersey employment law in the public sector incorporates the doctrine of collateral estoppel, which in some cases bars relitigating issues already decided in another forum. This applies to administrative appeals of employment action. A New Jersey appellate court recently examined this doctrine in the context of the revocation of…
New Jersey Employment Law Protections for Pregnant Employees New Jersey employment law, as well as Federal employment law, prohibits discrimination against employees because of pregnancy, requires employees to reasonably accommodate employees’ pregnancy, bars retaliation against employees who request accommodations for pregnancy or object to the treatment of pregnant employees, and…
One of the most difficult New Jersey employment law issues confronted by government employees is that they are sometimes drawn into legal action because of actions taken in the course of their employment. Defending such charges can cause significant expense and hardship to government employees. For teachers, administrators and other…
A recent New Jersey employment law decision in the case of A.B. vs. Board of Education of the City of Hackensack, Bergen County illustrates the dangers of public employees, especially teachers, posting suggestive content on their social media accounts, and the reach and consequences of the New Jersey “Pass the…
New Jersey whistleblower retaliation lawsuits turn on the question of evidence. This is a frequent area of dispute in New Jersey employment law. A New Jersey appeals court recently examined the evidence necessary to establish a claim of whistleblower retaliation under the New Jersey Conscientious Employee Protection Act, New Jersey’s…
New Jersey employment law requires that employees must be paid at regular intervals, at least twice per month. The proposition that employees should be paid for the time that they work does not seem to be illogical. However, litigation over non-payment of wages is all too common. The New Jersey…
The Appellate Division of New Jersey’s Superior Court recently examined the use of the “Rule of Three” in New Jersey civil service list bypass appeals in the case of In the Matter of Antonio Salters, Fire Fighter, Township of Hillside. Background Salters applied to become a firefighter for the…