Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, New Jersey and New York have closely coordinated their public health response, but when it comes to enacting workplace protections for essential workers, their approaches differ, according to union leaders from both states. Occupational-health experts note that the policies of the states have become particularly important because the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has yet to issue pandemic regulations. Jersey Standards In New Jersey, after consulting with unions as well as groups like Make the Road New Jersey, an advocacy group for immigrant workers, Gov. Phil Murphy signed an executive order Nov. 5 requiring all employers to provide personal protective equipment, routinely clean and disinfect all "high-touch areas" and require customers to follow basic public-health requirements, such as wearing masks.