No electrical license

[Heyhi]

Jurisdiction

New Jersey

I work for an electrical contract. This company pays me in checks and I've did my W-2 last year. I recently found out that the actual owner died years ago, and it seems like this company does not actually have an electrical license and is not allowed to do electric work.
Nevertheless they have contracts for two big supermarkets. We go in and we do electric work on those supermarkets. Simple little jobs and at the end of each day the workers write up an invoice and the supermarket manager signs it.
My question and concern is if this company actually does not have an electrical license and is not allowed to do electric work can I sue the supermarket for allowing them to still operate without an electrical license, or not being responsible enough to find out, or putting me in danger of getting hurt while at work with a company that shouldn't even be doing the work?

 

[justblue]

I work for an electrical contract. This company pays me in checks and I've did my W-2 last year. I recently found out that the actual owner died years ago, and it seems like this company does not actually have an electrical license and is not allowed to do electric work.
Nevertheless they have contracts for two big supermarkets. We go in and we do electric work on those supermarkets. Simple little jobs and at the end of each day the workers write up an invoice and the supermarket manager signs it.
My question and concern is if this company actually does not have an electrical license and is not allowed to do electric work can I sue the supermarket for allowing them to still operate without an electrical license, or not being responsible enough to find out, or putting me in danger of getting hurt while at work with a company that shouldn't even be doing the work?

Huh? No. You are the one putting yourself in "danger" by continuing to work for this company. How do you know that they are not licensed? Did you check with the state?

 

[adjusterjack]

Jeez, everybody wants to sue somebody. Somebody looks at you cross-eyed, sue them. A leaf falls off a tree, sue the tree owner.

Agree with Blue. Do a proper check with the state licensing agency.

As for getting hurt on the job, check with

Division of Workers' Compensation (nj.gov)

to see if they have WC insurance.

 

[Heyhi]

Huh? No. You are the one putting yourself in "danger" by continuing to work for this company. How do you know that they are not licensed? Did you check with the state?

Well that's where I'm confused here. Last night I emailed the New Jersey department of consumer affair, they told me the license number I gave them is active. Today I called the number and gave him the same information and that person on the phone told me that the company does not have a license, and the license number is not an electrical license it's a business license. Not sure where to go from here

 

[adjusterjack]

Do your search online where you can read the results instead of relying on what somebody tells you on the phone.

https://newjersey.mylicense.com/verification/

If you want additional help the Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors has its own phone number.

Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors (njconsumeraffairs.gov)

 

[Heyhi]

Do your search online where you can read the results instead of relying on what somebody tells you on the phone.


If you want additional help the Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors has its own phone number.


Yeah I know exactly what you mean and that's what I was trying to do. I actually use that website a few times and nothing comes up that's the people that I emailed and told me one thing and then called and told me something else.

 

[zddoodah]

I recently found out that the actual owner died years ago

I assume that the contracting company who is your employer and that it is a corporation or LLC, and that the person who died some unknown number of years in the past was the sole shareholder of the corporation or sole member of the LLC. Correct?

My question and concern is if this company actually does not have an electrical license and is not allowed to do electric work can I sue the supermarket for allowing them to still operate without an electrical license, or not being responsible enough to find out

Anyone can sue anyone for anything, but why would you sue for this? You weren't damaged in any way by any unlicensed work. Right?

or putting me in danger of getting hurt while at work with a company that shouldn't even be doing the work?

Every person who has a job is in some degree of danger of being hurt on the job. The fact is, however, that you didn't actually get hurt. Right? Moreover, if this was so important to you, you easily could have verified the company's license status and quit if it wasn't to your liking. But you never did that (until last night). Right?

Not sure where to go from here

If this is so important to you, talk with your boss. Or -- and I'm not sure why you're emailing people -- run a search of the company name at this site.