For Immediate Release

March 1, 2004

ADLER/GILL BILL WOULD PROMOTE EMPLOYEE RIGHTS

TRENTON - A bill sponsored by Senators John H. Adler and Nia H. Gill to require employers to give written annual notice to inform employees of their rights under the "Conscientious Employee Protection Act" was released today by the Senate Labor Committee.

"The ‘Conscientious Employee Protection Act' allowed employees to report inappropriate behavior without the fear of retaliatory firing," said Senator Adler, D-Camden. "Now employees need to be informed of their rights so that they will be able to report any wrongdoing."

"Employees have been covered under the ‘Conscientious Employee Protection Act' since 1986,"said Senator Gill, D-Essex and Passaic . "The majority of employees do not know their rights, and this bill would require that the bills be made readily available."

The measure, S-276, would require employers to give their workers annual written notice of any protections, obligations, rights and procedures provided under the act. The notices would have to be posted in both English and any other language spoken by the majority of workers in that workplace. The Commissioner of Labor would be required to provide the notice to employers upon request.

Employees are covered under the current law, but few know the protections and rights to which they are entitled. Fewer know the obligations and procedures they must follow to be covered under the law.

This bill now awaits consideration by the full Senate.