A legislative bill meant to help workers beat the heat has gotten a chilly reception in some quarters.
State Sen. Joseph Cryan (D-Union) is co-sponsor of a bill that would require New Jersey employers to provide protections to workers in the case of excessive heat, whether they work indoors or outdoors. The bill would require companies to provide water in the immediate vicinity of workers, shaded or cool-down areas during heat waves, and paid breaks from the heat.
But the business community and others have pushed back, saying such measures are already in place. The Farm Bureau and New Jersey Business & Industry Association are among critics who say the bill is vague, overly burdensome for businesses and unnecessary.
“The bill is really a one-size fits-all approach to something that can’t be a one-size-fits-all approach,” said Elissa Frank, the NJBIA’s vice president of government affairs. “It’s really hard to find workers willing to work in certain environments and just workers willing to work in any environment and in this state. So our employers are treating employees better than they ever have been.”
Cryan said the critics “would rather go back to feudalism than actually protect some of their workers.”
“I’m frustrated that another summer, an intense summer of heat, will go through without proper worker protections,” Cryan said.
