Employee Handbook

EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK — NEW JERSEY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Purpose and Employment Framework
2. Equal Employment and Reporting
3. Pay, Timekeeping, and Work Schedules
4. Leave and Protected Absences
5. Workplace Standards
6. Corrective Action and Separation
7. Administration and Acknowledgment

1. PURPOSE AND EMPLOYMENT FRAMEWORK

1.1 Company and Effective Date

This Handbook states the current workplace policies of [COMPANY LEGAL NAME] (the “Company”) for employees working in New Jersey. It is effective [__/__/____] and replaces prior handbook versions prospectively.

1.2 Handbook Status

This Handbook is not a contract for employment for a fixed term. It does not guarantee continued employment, a particular disciplinary sequence, or a benefit not vested under a governing plan or agreement. Any desired at-will language must be supplied in a separately reviewed New Jersey-specific paragraph.

1.3 Policy Changes

The Company may revise policies prospectively in writing, subject to applicable law, earned wages, vested benefits, signed agreements, and collective bargaining agreements. Only [AUTHORIZED TITLE] may approve a Handbook revision.

2. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT AND REPORTING

2.1 Equal Employment Opportunity

The Company prohibits unlawful discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination generally applies without a minimum employee-count threshold, subject to statutory exclusions. It protects against employment discrimination based on race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, pregnancy, breastfeeding, gender identity or expression, affectional or sexual orientation, marital status, familial status, disability, nationality, liability for military service, and other statuses protected by the Act. The Company also complies with all additional federal and local protected-status requirements that apply to its workforce and locations.

2.2 Disability, Pregnancy, and Religious Accommodation

Employees and applicants may request accommodation from [HR/ACCOMMODATION CONTACT]. The Company will engage in a timely review and provide accommodation where required, subject to controlling standards.

For pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions, reasonable accommodation may include bathroom breaks, increased water breaks, periodic rest, assistance with manual labor, job restructuring, a modified work schedule, or temporary transfer to less strenuous or hazardous work. An accommodation may be denied only after applying the controlling undue-hardship standard. The Company will not penalize a person for requesting or using a required accommodation.

2.3 Reporting and Non-Retaliation

Report discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage concerns, leave interference, safety issues, or other suspected violations to:

• [SUPERVISOR]
• [HR CONTACT]
• [ALTERNATE CONTACT OUTSIDE THE REPORTING CHAIN]

Reports may be oral or written. The Company will review reports promptly, preserve confidentiality to the extent practicable, prohibit retaliation, and take action based on the findings. Internal reporting does not require an employee to waive or delay a protected agency contact, charge, testimony, emergency request, or legal remedy.

3. PAY, TIMEKEEPING, AND WORK SCHEDULES

3.1 Classification and Workweek

Employees are classified as [FULL-TIME / PART-TIME / TEMPORARY] and [EXEMPT / NONEXEMPT] under applicable law. The fixed workweek begins [DAY/TIME] and ends [DAY/TIME]. Classification labels do not override wage-and-hour law.

3.2 Minimum Wage and Overtime

The generally applicable New Jersey minimum wage is $15.92 per hour beginning January 1, 2026. Different rates and rules apply to small or seasonal employers, agricultural workers, long-term-care direct-care staff, tipped employees, and other statutory categories. Payroll must confirm the current category and rate before each January 1 and whenever the employee's duties or worksite change.

Unless an exemption or special rule applies, covered nonexempt employees receive at least one and one-half times the regular hourly wage for hours over forty in a workweek under New Jersey and federal law. Advance approval may be required, but all hours the Company requires or permits must be recorded and paid.

3.3 Timekeeping and Off-the-Clock Work

Nonexempt employees must accurately record all work, including required preparation, closing, meetings, training, and work performed away from the regular site. Off-the-clock work is prohibited. Employees must report an error to [PAYROLL CONTACT]; a good-faith report will not result in retaliation.

3.4 Paydays, Statements, and Deductions

Employees are paid [WEEKLY / BIWEEKLY / SEMIMONTHLY] on regular paydays designated in advance. New Jersey generally requires full wage payment at least twice each calendar month. Certain bona fide executive, supervisory, and other special classifications may be paid monthly as the statute permits.

Each wage statement and payroll record will contain the information required by applicable law. The Company will withhold or divert wages only when required or expressly permitted by law, including a deduction within a statutory category supported by any required employee authorization.

3.5 Meal and Rest Periods

New Jersey law does not generally require a meal or rest period for an adult employee. Adult meal and rest periods are governed by [COMPANY POLICY], applicable wage-payment rules, accommodation duties, and any industry-specific law.

An employee under eighteen must receive at least a thirty-minute interval after no more than six continuous hours of work under N.J. Stat. Ann. § 34:2-21.4. A shorter break does not interrupt the continuous-hours calculation.

3.6 Benefits and Workplace Injuries

Eligibility and coverage are controlled by governing plan documents. Employees must promptly report a work-related injury or illness to [CONTACT]. The Company will administer workers' compensation reporting, medical care, and non-retaliation under controlling law.

4. LEAVE AND PROTECTED ABSENCES

4.1 New Jersey Earned Sick Leave

New Jersey employers of all sizes generally must provide earned sick leave to covered employees. An employee accrues one hour for every thirty hours worked, up to forty hours in a benefit year, unless the Company uses a lawful frontload method or provides a more generous policy.

Earned sick leave may be used for the employee's or a family member's health needs; preventive care; specified domestic- or sexual-violence needs; certain school meetings; and qualifying public-health closures, quarantines, or isolation needs. “Family member” is broadly defined and includes a person whose close association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship.

Employees request leave through [METHOD]. For foreseeable leave, the Company may require up to seven days' advance notice under a compliant written policy. For unforeseeable leave, notice is due as soon as practicable. Documentation may be required only as permitted by the Act, including for three or more consecutive workdays or a properly designated restricted date. The Company will not require an employee to find a replacement worker or retaliate for protected use.

4.2 New Jersey Family Leave Act

Effective July 17, 2026, the New Jersey Family Leave Act generally covers an employer with fifteen or more employees worldwide for each working day during twenty or more workweeks in the current or preceding calendar year, as well as covered public employers. An employee generally becomes eligible after three months of employment and at least 250 base hours during the immediately preceding twelve months.

An eligible employee may take up to twelve weeks of job-protected family leave in a twenty-four-month period for bonding after birth or placement, caring for a family member with a serious health condition, and qualifying public-health-emergency reasons. NJFLA does not provide leave for the employee's own health condition. Notice, certification, intermittent or reduced-schedule leave, benefits, and restoration will be administered under a separate NJFLA procedure and current law.

4.3 Temporary Disability and Family Leave Insurance Protection

New Jersey Temporary Disability Insurance and Family Leave Insurance provide wage-replacement benefits, not an additional leave bank. Effective July 17, 2026, a covered individual who takes TDI or FLI benefits generally has restoration and anti-retaliation protection under N.J. Stat. Ann. § 43:21-55.2, including when NJFLA or federal FMLA does not already protect the absence. The protection has no employer-size or current-employer work-history threshold, but benefit eligibility and statutory exceptions still must be confirmed.

The Company coordinates TDI, FLI, earned sick leave, NJFLA, FMLA, disability accommodation, and Company paid leave without double-counting benefits or reducing a greater right. Employees contact [LEAVE ADMINISTRATOR] before leave when practicable.

4.4 NJ SAFE Act Leave

The NJ SAFE Act generally applies to a New Jersey employer with twenty-five or more employees. An employee who worked at least 1,000 hours during the immediately preceding twelve months may take up to twenty days of unpaid leave in a twelve-month period following an incident of domestic violence or a sexually violent offense affecting the employee or a covered family or household relationship.

Leave may be used in full-day increments for medical care or recovery, victim or counseling services, safety planning or relocation, legal assistance or remedies, and preparation for or attendance at related proceedings. The employee gives advance written notice when foreseeable and as much notice as reasonably practicable otherwise. The Company may request only documentation permitted by the Act and will keep it strictly confidential. Coordination with other leave or benefits will follow controlling law.

4.5 Federal Family and Medical Leave

Eligible employees of a covered employer may take unpaid, job-protected FMLA leave for qualifying reasons. The federal FMLA generally provides up to twelve workweeks in a twelve-month period and up to twenty-six workweeks in a single twelve-month period for qualifying military-caregiver leave. Coverage, eligibility, certification, intermittent leave, benefit continuation, and restoration are administered under the separate FMLA policy and current federal law.

4.6 Jury Service

The Company will not penalize, threaten, or coerce an employee because the employee responds to a summons, serves as a juror, or attends prospective jury service. N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2B:20-17 protects employment but does not itself require a private employer to pay wages during jury service. Pay and use of accrued leave are [COMPANY POLICY].

4.7 Other Protected and Company Leave

Complete these policies before use and coordinate them with independently protected leave, accommodation, collective bargaining agreements, and local requirements:

• Vacation/PTO: [ACCRUAL / USE / CARRYOVER / PAYOUT]
• Bereavement: [POLICY]
• Military service and reemployment: [USERRA / STATE POLICY]
• Personal leave: [POLICY]

5. WORKPLACE STANDARDS

5.1 Attendance and Conduct

Employees must report as scheduled, follow lawful safety and work rules, accurately maintain records, protect Company and customer property, and avoid dishonesty, threats, violence, unlawful harassment, and material conflicts of interest. Call-in procedures are [METHOD / CONTACT / TIMING], subject to protected leave and accommodation rules.

5.2 Confidential Information and Protected Activity

Employees must protect trade secrets and legitimately confidential business information. This policy does not prohibit protected reports to government agencies, lawful whistleblowing, discussion of wages or working conditions where protected, participation in an investigation, consultation with counsel, or other activity protected by law.

5.3 Recruiting, Transfers, and Promotions

If the Company is covered by N.J. Stat. Ann. § 34:6B-23, each internal or external posting for a new job or transfer will state the hourly wage or salary, or a good-faith range, plus a general description of benefits and other compensation programs. The Act generally covers an employer with ten or more employees over twenty calendar weeks that does business, employs persons, or takes employment applications in New Jersey.

The Company will make reasonable efforts to announce qualifying promotion opportunities to employees in affected departments before making a promotion decision, subject to the statutory exceptions. These requirements have applied since June 1, 2025.

5.4 Technology and Monitoring

Company systems are for authorized use under the separate [INFORMATION SECURITY / ACCEPTABLE USE] policy. Monitoring must be approved and implemented consistently with applicable privacy, labor, and communications law.

5.5 Separate Agreements

Arbitration, restrictive covenants, invention assignment, confidentiality obligations intended to survive employment, and other binding terms must be placed in separately reviewed agreements. They are not created by this Handbook.

6. CORRECTIVE ACTION AND SEPARATION

6.1 Corrective Action

Depending on the circumstances, the Company may use coaching, verbal warning, written warning, final warning, suspension, reassignment, or discharge. It may select or skip steps. This discretionary framework is not a promise of progressive discipline and does not create a notice-and-cure right.

6.2 Final Pay

When employment ends because of discharge, resignation, or another separation, all wages due are paid no later than the regular payday for the pay period in which the separation occurred under N.J. Stat. Ann. § 34:11-4.3.

Vacation, bonuses, commissions, expenses, and other compensation are handled under the governing written policy, plan, agreement, and applicable law. The Company will not make an unauthorized deduction or condition earned-wage payment on signing a release.

6.3 Return of Property

Employees must return Company property, records, credentials, and equipment by [METHOD / DEADLINE]. Disputed property will be addressed separately from wage payment.

7. ADMINISTRATION AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT

7.1 Conflicts

If this Handbook conflicts with controlling law, a benefit plan, a signed agreement, or a collective bargaining agreement, the controlling authority governs. Contact [HR/LEGAL] before applying a policy to an unusual coverage, leave, wage, or accommodation question.

7.2 No Risk-Shifting Terms

This Handbook does not impose employee indemnity, a damages cap, attorney-fee shifting, an exclusive forum, arbitration, a jury waiver, a restrictive covenant, a pre-claim notice-and-cure period, or force-majeure relief from wage, leave, safety, or insurance obligations.

EMPLOYEE ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I acknowledge receipt of the [COMPANY LEGAL NAME] Employee Handbook effective [__/__/____]. I understand that:

1. I am responsible for reading the Handbook and asking [HR CONTACT] about unclear policies.
2. The Handbook is not a contract for employment for a fixed term.
3. The Company may prospectively revise policies in writing, subject to applicable law and binding agreements.
4. The corrective-action framework is discretionary unless controlling law or an authorized agreement requires otherwise.
5. Nothing in the Handbook requires me to waive or delay protected reports, agency contacts, or remedies.

Employee Name: [________________________________]

Employee Signature: [________________________________]

Date: [__/__/____]

Company Representative: [________________________________]

Date: [__/__/____]

OFFICIAL SOURCES AND IMPLEMENTATION REFERENCES

• New Jersey Division on Civil Rights — Law Against Discrimination
• New Jersey Department of Labor — 2026 minimum wage announcement
• New Jersey Department of Labor — Wage and Hour Laws
• New Jersey Department of Labor — Selected State Labor Laws
• New Jersey Department of Labor — Earned Sick Leave
• New Jersey Department of Labor — Expanded Job Protection
• New Jersey Legislature — P.L. 2025, c. 279
• New Jersey Department of Labor — NJ SAFE Act notice
• New Jersey Department of Labor — Pay and Benefits Transparency
• New Jersey Department of Labor — Young Workers
• New Jersey Courts — Jury service information
• U.S. Department of Labor — FLSA overtime
• U.S. Department of Labor — FMLA