Official Site of The State of New Jersey

December 22, 2025

TRENTON – The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) in December added the names of nine new businesses to its Workplace Accountability in Labor List (The WALL), bringing the total number to 327 employers who are listed for failing to address their outstanding liabilities for violations of wage, benefit or tax laws. Any business whose name appears on The WALL is barred from public contracting with state, county, or local governments, until they pay their liabilities in full. 

These nine businesses owe a total of $243,942.23 in unpaid contributions, penalties, and interest to the Unemployment Compensation Fund and State Disability Benefits Fund.  The WALL, which marked its second anniversary in September of this year, currently lists a total of 327 businesses for labor violations which collectively owe over $30 million – either directly to their workers or the state for unpaid taxes or contributions.  

“For over two years, The WALL has played a critical role in leveling the playing field for New Jersey businesses and workers alike, delivering on the Murphy Administration’s commitment to a stronger and fairer economy,” said Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo. “By leveraging data-driven enforcement and collaboration across state agencies and departments, The WALL has been pivotal in confronting businesses that exploit their workers or fail to meet their obligations to the state.” 

To date, NJDOL has recovered $759,778.57 in outstanding liabilities from businesses that have been posted to The WALL or have been warned their business would be added to The WALL if they did not pay. 

Launched in September 2023 with a list of 36 businesses, The WALL, now in its third year, is a compliance tool that publicly exposes and bans companies from public contracting if they have underpaid workers or failed to pay contributions, penalties, and interest owed to the state’s departments of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) and Treasury. Despite judgments against them, these businesses have not fully resolved their outstanding liabilities or complied with state wage, benefit, and tax laws. 

This initiative was established through bipartisan action (S-4226) in 2020 as part of an effort to combat worker misclassification and exploitation. It gives NJDOL power to protect fair-minded businesses across the state from employers that undercut their workers to gain a competitive edge. 

“OSEC’s strategic enforcement initiatives, including The WALL, are vital to our efforts to eliminate worker exploitation and promote compliance,” said OSEC Director Peter Basso. “As we continue to expand the reach of The WALL, we hope to see more businesses proactively resolve their liabilities and fulfill their obligations to their workers and the state.” 

The WALL is administered by NJDOL’s Office of Strategic Enforcement and Compliance (OSEC), which promotes business compliance with New Jersey labor laws through targeted, data-driven enforcement and strong interagency coordination with federal and state departments, local public bodies, and other stakeholders. Through interagency coordination, OSEC leverages strategic initiatives and data-driven approaches to implement corrective actions, protect workers, and uphold fair business practices by supporting long-term compliance through education and outreach. 

In addition to The WALL, OSEC’s compliance tools include Substantial Good Standing (SGS), an internal vetting process for grant applicants. The SGS process ensures businesses seeking grants from NJDOL and other relevant public bodies resolve any outstanding labor liabilities before they are awarded funds. The Wage Violation Watchlist (The Watchlist) is the most recent addition to OSEC’s enforcement toolbox. The Watchlist publicly lists businesses that fail to pay minimum wage or overtime; do not pay workers what they are owed; or retaliate against employees who file a wage complaint. 

OSEC recently released The OSEC Impact Report 2023-2025 providing a comprehensive overview of New Jersey’s progress in key areas of labor law enforcement over the past two years. The report details how critical initiatives like The WALL have effectively tackled wage violations and worker misclassification, recovering millions in owed wages and penalties for the state and workers. 

Posting on The WALL is separate from – and may be in addition to – other accountability measures, such as public contractor debarment and business license suspension or revocation. State, county, municipal, and school procurement officers must cross-reference The WALL before awarding public contracts, as they do with the debarment list. 

The WALL website features improved accessibility and a streamlined user experience. The updated site includes a convenient search box to enable users to more quickly find information on posted businesses, including names and posting dates, in addition to other key details. The WALL can be viewed or downloaded here. 

Questions about the WALL should be directed to OSECInquiries@dol.nj.gov.  

For a comprehensive list of questions and answers about The WALL, visit nj.gov/labor/wall.  

Businesses added to The WALL in December are:

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