Nearly two years after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, the novel coronavirus continues to affect New Jersey workplaces. While experts agree that the worst of the pandemic is behind us, the sweeping changes that have been made to New Jersey's employment laws are here to stay and employers must either adapt and adhere to the revamped laws with all their nuances and complexities or risk exposing their businesses to liability.

Compliance is easier said than done and the revamped employment laws have allowed employees to insulate themselves from adverse employment actions simply because employers are afraid of liability should they fail to adhere to all legal requirements. In particular, the Earned Sick Leave Law, N.J.S.A. §§34:11D-1 through 34:11D-11, as amended, has left employers afraid to make necessary business decisions and awarded many employees with newfound job security. This was hardly the intent of the legislature when it enacted the amendment, but it is the unfortunate reality that New Jersey employers face today.