New Jersey independent contractor regulation with ABC test is in effect

The New Jersey independent contractor law took effect Thursday, with a late buzz during the last few weeks that its implementation might be delayed ultimately fizzling. The New Jersey regulation codifies the ABC test for determining independent contractor status. While business associations in New Jersey virtually across the board have criticized the regulation, including trucking-related groups , it was an attorney who specializes in IC law, Richard Reibstein of the firm of Littler Mendelson, who summed up the opponents’ view of the new standard. Changes moderate the original proposal Noting that the initial proposal from last year was modified in such a way that it was seen as less punitive, Reibstein wrote recently that “the final regulation takes a more moderate regulatory approach than the proposed regulation issued in April 2025. However, the new regulation still carries out one of the most business-unfriendly tests for IC status in the country and interprets that test in a particularly unhelpful manner.