New Jersey officials recently reached a settlement with a truck drive training school over how it classified some of its employees.
In a statement issues Tuesday, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo announced a settlement with a Bergen County truck driving school that failed to properly classify its commercial driver’s license instructors as employees.
The lawsuit against Jersey Tractor Trailer Training, Inc. (JTTT), filed in September 2024, alleged that the company misclassified at least 30 instructors as independent contractors, "depriving them of their rightful wages and essential labor rights and protections," said the statement from Platkin's office.
“No business operating in our state should be allowed to deprive workers of their rightful pay and benefits. That’s why my office, working in conjunction with Labor Commissioner Asaro-Angelo, has cracked down on worker misclassification, which denies employees their hard-earned pay and benefits,” said Platkin. “Today’s settlement is another important victory in the fight against worker misclassification. Our message is simple: comply with the law or face the consequences.”
The seven-count complaint alleged that between 2018 and 2022, JTTT violated several New Jersey labor laws by, among other things, failing to pay overtime and timely pay the full amount of wages due; maintain records of hours worked and wages paid; provide earned sick leave; and contribute to the State’s Unemployment Compensation Fund, Disability Benefits Fund, Workforce Development Partnership Fund, and Supplemental Workforce Fund for Basic Skills.
Under the terms of the settlement, JTTT has a total gross settlement obligation of $345,000. Eligible driving instructors are collectively entitled to receive up to $137,160, based on their individual earnings. In addition, JTTT will pay $127,839 to NJDOL to satisfy all penalties, fees, and costs associated with bringing the lawsuit on behalf of the workers.
The total settlement amount will be reduced by $80,000 if JTTT fulfills all its reporting obligations contained in the agreement, which requires JTTT to provide documentation to the NJDOL over the next two years confirming that it is treating all current and future instructors as employees under all applicable state labor and employment laws.
