Sparta business added to WALL

Brookwood Body Shop, 50 Senara Lake Lane, Sparta, has been added to the Workplace Accountability in Labor List (WALL) at the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOL).

It was among 10 businesses added this month, bringing to 178 the number of employers that have failed to address their outstanding liabilities for violations of wage, benefit or tax laws.

On April 15, 2020, Brookwood Body Shop was found liable for $112,364.

Any business whose name appears on the WALL is barred from public contracting with state, county or local governments until they pay their liabilities in full.

The 10 businesses added to the WALL in July owe a total of $930,511, including unpaid contributions, penalties and interest to the Unemployment Compensation Fund and State Disability Benefits Fund.

The 178 businesses on the WALL collectively owe $18 million – either directly to their workers or to the state for unpaid taxes or contributions.

The DOL has recovered more than $480,000 in outstanding liabilities from businesses posted to the WALL or warned that their business would be adde if they did not resolve their outstanding liabilities.

The WALL allows the department to publicly name companies that shortchange their workers and skip required contributions to programs such as unemployment insurance and workers’ compensation. The companies on the list have failed to resolve their outstanding fines and fees with DOL and Treasury.

The initiative was established through bipartisan action in 2020 as part of an effort to combat worker misclassification and exploitation.