On October 28, 2020, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed Executive Order No. 192 imposing health and safety measures on all New Jersey businesses, non-profits, and governmental or educational entities. The measures will take effect at 6:00 a.m. on Thursday November 5, 2020.
Pursuant to the Executive Order, any employer that requires or permits its workforce, whether in part or as a whole, to be physically present at a worksite is required to abide by various requirements to protect employees, customers and others at the work place. Such measures include the following:
Require that individuals at the workplace maintain at least six feet of distance from one another to the maximum extent possible. This would include during meetings where employees and other individuals are present in a single room and in common areas such as breakrooms and restrooms.
· Requiring employees, customers and others entering the workplace to wear protective face masks or other protective cloths. Limited exceptions apply such as when an individual is eating or where a service being provided cannot be performed by an individual wearing a mask. Employers may permit employees to remove masks when the employees are situated at their work stations and more than six feet apart from others or when an employee is alone in a walled office. Employers must also make the face masks available to the employees at the employers’ sole cost.