Back in February 2026, New Jersey announced an important update to its state-sponsored retirement program. On February 6, 2026, the RetireReady NJ Program was officially amended to expand its reach to more employers across the state. While the program originally launched in June 2024, this latest change lowers the employer participation threshold. The state has not yet announced a formal compliance deadline for newly covered employers, but implementation is expected to roll out in phases in the coming months, with advance notice provided.
Under the updated rules, employers with 10 or more employees (previously the threshold was 25) will be required to participate if they have been in business in New Jersey for at least two years and do not already offer a qualified retirement plan. Notably, the employee count appears to include all W-2 employees, even part-time workers, which significantly broadens the scope of affected businesses. Employers meeting these criteria must facilitate payroll deductions into the RetireReady NJ program for employees who choose to participate.
Note that we have seen several States setting up more and more restrictive requirements, like in the case of California where the employer is required to offering a retirement plan (via private market or CalSavers Retirement Program by Dec 31, 2025, for 1–4 employees), workers’ compensation insurance, paid sick leave (40 hours/year), and State Disability Insurance. All these measures of benefits for the employees are setting a higher burden on micro and small businesses.
If you believe your business may be affected by these changes or want to explore your options for compliance or alternative retirement plan solutions, GG CPA Services is here to help. Reach out to our team today with any questions about RetireReady NJ or your broader retirement planning obligations.
