NEWARK, NJ: New Jersey Citizen Action (NJCA) and the NJ Time to Care Coalition today celebrate the implementation of expanded job-protected leave rights. The new law is a major victory for working people as it closes critical gaps in New Jersey's family leave protections.

“Without job security, New Jersey workers who qualified for paid leave benefits face the terrifying possibility of losing their jobs simply when taking time off to recover from a serious illness, care for a loved one, bond with a new child, or cope with domestic or sexual violence,” said NJCA Workplace Justice Program Director Yarrow Willman-Cole. “From today, thousands of workers whose jobs were previously unprotected by our fragmented laws will be able to take leave when they need without the fear of losing their income or their job.”

Beginning today, changes to the law ensure that workers receiving Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) or Family Leave Insurance (FLI) benefits, who are not already covered under the New Jersey Family Leave Act (NJFLA) or the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), are now guaranteed the right to return to the same job, or an equivalent position with the same pay, benefits, seniority, and working conditions, after their leave.

Changes also expand eligibility for job-protected leave under the NJFLA by lowering the employer-size threshold from 30 employees to 15, reducing the required length of employment from 12 months to just three months, and lowering the hours-worked requirement from 1,000 hours to only 250 hours over the previous year.

"The new job protection law in New Jersey is truly life-changing. This protection marks a significant step forward in transforming the system and providing crucial support to individuals who need to apply for programs that help them care for themselves or their families”, said Rosanna Rodriguez, Executive Director, Laundry Workers Center. “It's a relief to know you can do so without fear of losing your job. We congratulate all the leaders who have stood up in support. We also must remember that the work continues until every working family is protected.”

The expanded protections will particularly benefit workers who have historically fallen through the cracks: women workers, people of color, lower wage workers, employees of small businesses, newer workers, many part-time employees, and survivors of domestic or sexual violence.

“From a union perspective, these enhancements are about dignity, security, and basic fairness on the job. No worker who keeps New Jersey running should have to choose between welcoming a child, caring for a loved one or staying safe from violence and keeping their paycheck and position. By expanding job-protected leave, New Jersey is recognizing what unions have long fought for: workers are not disposable, and a strong economy depends on respecting the people who keep it running,” said Michele Liebtag, Political & Education Director, CWA Local 1036.

"Paid leave only works when workers know they'll still have a job when they return. This law finally closes one of the biggest gaps in our leave system and brings us closer to a New Jersey where every worker can care for themselves and their loved ones, including children with disabilities or special health care needs, without risking economic devastation. These protections strengthen New Jersey's position as a national leader on worker rights,” said Peg Kinsell, Policy Director with SPAN Parent Advocacy Network. “We commend the Legislature and the Sherrill administration for advancing policies that put working people first.”

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New Jersey Citizen Action is a statewide advocacy and empowerment organization that fights for social, racial and economic justice for all.
The New Jersey Time to Care Coalition is a statewide alliance of advocacy, union, research, faith, senior, LGBTQIA+, disability, women’s, and community-based organizations working to ensure all working families in New Jersey have paid time to care for themselves and their loved ones