The New Jersey Time to Care Coalition Members to Celebrate, Discuss Significance of Earned Sick and Safe Days Bill Poised to Pass Thursday

Trenton — On Thursday, April 12^th, workers who lack access to paid sick days, small business owners and advocates with the NJ Time to Care Coalition who represent women, seniors, low wage workers, health care workers and victims of domestic violence will gather to celebrate the impending passage of the NJ Earned Sick and Safe Days Act and discuss what the new law will mean to them, their communities and the economy as a whole. The press conference will be held in Room 16 of the State House Annex at 12:00 PM.

“This bill will change workplaces for the better, turning the page on a time when some working people are expected to work while sick or leave sick family members’ bedside when they need them most. It’s inhumane to deny workers the right to earn paid time off for illness, and when this bill becomes law, nearly every worker in New Jersey will have that right. We are thrilled that the bill sponsors and the legislative leaders in both houses have championed a pro-worker and more family friendly New Jersey, said Dena Mottola Jaborska, Associate Director at New Jersey Citizen Action and Co-Convener of the New Jersey Time to Care Coalition.

The New Jersey Time to Care Coalition – a group of over 60 community, advocacy, union, and religious organizations – has been working for nearly a decade to ensure a basic standard of earned sick days for New Jersey workers. With Thursday’s vote in the New Jersey Senate, approving the NJ Earned Sick and Safe Days Act, the bill will head to the Governor’s desk. Once signed, New Jersey would join nine states and the District of Columbia, guaranteeing workers earned sick days.

WHAT:                 Press Conference and NJ Time to Care Coalition Celebration

WHERE:               State House Room, Room 16^th
WHEN:                 Thursday, April 12, 12:00 PM
WHO:                   NJ Time to Care Coalition members, workers, advocates, small business owners, medical

               professionals and more.

Background

The NJ Earned Sick and Safe Days Act (A1827) passed the NJ Assembly on March 26, 2018. The bill will receive a vote for final passage on April 12^th in the NJ Senate and head to the Governor’s desk where he is expected to sign it.

The Earned Sick and Safe Days Act would ensure that workers in New Jersey have access to paid sick days to use for themselves or to care for sick family members, for recovering from illness as well as attending preventative care visits. The bill also establishes minimum standards governing how all workers in New Jersey can accrue and use paid sick days. More than 1 million New Jersey workers have no access to paid time off for illness. Additional New Jersey workers have some, but lack adequate access to paid sick time, or face barriers to using their paid time off when it is needed. The legislation also allows earned sick time to be used by victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, and by parents to attend meetings requested or required by a school, or meetings regarding care provided to their children. Under this soon to be enacted law, nearly all employers in New Jersey, regardless of size will be required to offer employees the ability to accrue earned sick time, up to five days or 40 hours annually. The law would go into effect 180 days after enactment.