Paid Sick Leave Arrives for New Jersey Workers
October 31, 2018
Effective Monday, October 29, all full- and part-time workers in New Jersey are now eligible for paid sick leave. The legislation, signed by Gov. Phil Murphy in May, is likely to benefit nearly 1.2 million workers in the Garden State, many of whom work in food and personal-care service industries.
The law allows employees to accrue one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked. Accrued sick time will be capped at 40 hours per year. Sick days may be used for a variety of health issues including personal illness or injuries, caring for family members who are sick or injured, matters pertaining to domestic or sexual violence, or when a child’s school or care center is closed due to health concerns or a medical epidemic.
New Jersey is the tenth state in the country to enact a paid sick leave policy. Although the program will protect workers from losing their wages or jobs due to unexpected illnesses or other health matters, employers may be able to stipulate terms for using the accrued hours. Employers may make workers wait up to 120 days to use the time and may request a week’s notice if an employee knows about the ailment in advance. If a worker takes three or more consecutive work days off, the employer may request a doctor’s note.
If you experienced workplace discrimination or retaliation by an employer due to health reasons, call the South Jersey employment lawyers at Sidney L. Gold & Associates, P.C. at 215-569-1999 or contact us online to arrange a free case review. We have extensive experience handling all types of employment law cases, including those involving wage and hour claims. From our offices in Philadelphia and Pennsauken, New Jersey, we represent clients throughout the area.
