Following a statewide labor investigation, 27 New Jersey Boston Market locations have reopened after the New Jersey Department of Labor procured more than $630,000 in backpay for 314 workers. The company was issued 27 stop-work orders last month and fined nearly $2.6 million for multiple instances of labor violations, including unpaid/late payment of wages, hindrance of the investigation, failure to pay minimum wage, records violations, failure to pay earned sick leave, and failure to maintain records for earned sick leave. Following the wage repayment, the stop-work orders were lifted.
According to the New Jersey Department of Labor, the investigation was initiated by a complaint that was received by the department last November from a Boston Market worker at in Hamilton Township in Mercer County. Since then, the department has received dozens of additional complaints naming multiple other New Jersey Boston Market locations in violation of labor law.