What New Jersey law adds on top of federal law for nurses and EMS, and who to call.
Every rule here was read on the statute, regulation or agency page it cites. Checked November 10, 2026.
General information, not legal advice. Laws change and your facts decide how they apply. Before you act, confirm with the agency listed here or with an employment lawyer or your union representative.
Who to call in New Jersey
New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Division of Wage and Hour ComplianceUnpaid wages and state labor complaints. Start a complaint
U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour DivisionUnpaid wages and overtime, PUMP Act, FMLA. Contact · 1-866-487-9243
OSHAPrivate-employer safety complaints, and retaliation for raising safety (30 days under the OSH Act). Public employees: see Unions and public employers. Contact
A New Jersey health care facility can only require overtime in an unforeseeable emergent circumstance, as a last resort, and never to cover chronic short staffing (vacancies open 90 days or more). Before mandating, it has to seek volunteers, call on-call staff, and try per diem and agency staff, and it must give you up to an hour to arrange care for your kids or dependent family. It can't discriminate against or fire you for refusing overtime the law doesn't allow.
Who it covers: Hourly workers in direct patient care or clinical services at New Jersey health care facilities (facilities licensed by the Department of Health, State or county psychiatric hospitals, State developmental centers and registered health care service firms), including nurses and nurse aides; not physicians.
Limits and exceptions to know (the law may have others; read the source):
An unforeseeable emergent circumstance: an unpredictable, non-recurring event in health care delivery that needs immediate action.
During a declared national, state or municipal emergency, or a disaster that activates the facility's emergency plan, the facility doesn't have to exhaust the staffing steps first.
Some hourly job titles are excluded by rule; the list is in N.J.A.C. 8:43E-8.2. (N.J.A.C. 8:43E-8.2)
"the employer is prohibited from discriminating or discharging an employee who refuses to work overtime."
Fired, laid off or quit, you must be paid all wages due by the regular payday for the pay period in which your job ended.
Who it covers: Employees in New Jersey. The Wage Payment Law defines employer as individuals, partnerships, corporations and similar entities; if a government agency employs you, confirm with the Division of Wage and Hour Compliance that it applies.
Limits and exceptions to know (the law may have others; read the source):
The law's definition of employer names private entities and doesn't mention the state or local governments. (N.J.S.A. 34:11-4.1(a))
"whenever an employee quits, resigns, or leaves employment for any reason, the employer shall pay the employee all wages due not later than the regular payday for the pay period during which the employee's termination, suspension or cessation of employment (whether temporary or permanent) took place"
For New Jersey we have not yet confirmed state rules on staffing ratios, plans and committees, meal and rest breaks. That does not mean New Jersey has no rule on them: we leave a topic off until we have read it at the source, and only federal rules are shown for it here.