The Act requires the payment of minimum rates of pay to laborers, craftsmen, and apprentices employed on public works projects. The Wage Theft Prevention Act (WTPA) took effect on April 9, 2011.The law requires employers to give written notice of wage rates to each new hire. Federal law requires employers to pay an employee one-and-a-half times his or her typical hourly wage for all hours over 40 worked in a workweek. Discrimination Laws. Discrimination in the workplace is illegal under both federal and state laws. Attorneys admitted in New Jersey but practicing in another jurisdiction, teaching law, or working for a governmental entity are not exempt. The new law requires employers to equip housekeeping and other staff with panic devices when they work in a guest room without any other employees present. The new law applies to all Middlesex County businesses, no matter how large and how many they employ. Work-Study wages do not appear on the student's account.