Official Site of The State of New Jersey

November 6, 2025

TRENTON – The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) today announced the successful completion of one of its pioneering strategic enforcement initiatives in the retail, coin-operated laundromat industry, focusing on strengthening compliance with the state’s labor laws. 

From April 2022 to July 2025, NJDOL inspected 99 laundromats across the state and found that more than 70% of these businesses were not complying with New Jersey's Wage and Hour laws. As a result, NJDOL assessed over $216,000 in penalties and $204,904 in wages owed to 142 employees. The sweep revealed widespread violations, including failure to provide Earned Sick Leave, incomplete or absent records, unpaid or late wages, failure to display legally required posters, and the misclassification of employees as independent contractors. 

"NJDOL's successfully completed its first strategic enforcement initiative aimed at bolstering the rights of New Jersey laundromat workers," said Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo. "Through advanced training and technology, NJDOL’s Wage and Hour Division held law-breaking employers accountable, recovered wages owed to laundromat workers, and made a lasting impact to clean up this industry. We will continue to monitor this industry to ensure continued compliance with our laws.” 

NJDOL continues to raise the bar and set the gold standard for labor enforcement around the country. NJDOL’s Division of Wage and Hour Compliance spearheaded the state’s first laundromat sweep, conducting comprehensive investigations; fostering interagency collaboration; and engaging with stakeholders. The initiative strategically targeted areas of the industry based on statistical and geographic data, along with intelligence from industry stakeholders. 

Many investigations were complex, focusing on owners of multiple laundromat locations to maximize industry-wide impact. Collaborations included referrals to the Divisions of Taxation, Unemployment Insurance, and Workers’ Compensation to coordinate enforcement across agencies. 

The initiative included outreach to laundromat owners through direct mailings, face-to-face programs, and webinars to provide essential information about compliance with the state’s Wage and Hour law. NJDOL partnered with laundromat worker advocates like the Laundry Workers Center to empower workers with vital information about their work rights to enable them to recognize and stand against unfair workplace treatment. 

"A clean start for laundromat workers in New Jersey is long overdue. Thanks to the efforts of the NJDOL and collaboration with grassroots organizations like ours, we are witnessing meaningful improvements in our industry," said Rosanna Rodriguez, Co-Executive Director of the Laundry Workers Center. "We remain committed to supporting laundromat workers and ensuring they receive the dignity and respect they deserve under New Jersey law." 

The Laundry Workers Center continues to support laundromat workers in reporting violations and filing wage claims beyond the initiative, demonstrating the lasting impact of this effort. Following this sweep, NJDOL successfully recovered over $35,000 in unpaid wages for a misclassified laundromat worker. 

In New Jersey, workers are protected by state wage and hour laws and safeguarded against retaliation regardless of their immigration status. Workers can find additional information about their rights and how to file a complaint with the NJDOL Division of Wage and Hour Compliance at myworkrights.nj.gov. 

Any business or organization that wishes to engage with NJDOL to ensure a lawful work environment is encouraged to email wagehour@dol.nj.gov.