State & Federal Legislation
Several measures have been introduced on both the state and federal level to provide paid sick days and paid family and medical leave for workers.
Federal Legislation
Federal Healthy Families Act
would guarantee workers up to seven paid sick days a year to recover from their own illness or to care for a sick family member, and provides paid sick time for diagnostic and medical appointments
New Jersey State Legislation
This bill will allow parents/guardians to attend or participate in school functions or activities of a child of the employee, or accompany the child to medical-related appointments.
This bill will provide earned sick leave to workers in New Jersey. For every 30 hours worked, the employee shall accrue one hour of earned sick leave. The employer shall not be required to permit the employee to accrue at any one time, or carry forward from one year to the next, more than 40 hours of earned sick leave if the employer is a small employer, or more than 72 hours of earned sick leave if the employer is not a small employer. The employee may use earned sick leave as it is accrued.
This bill increases the minimum hourly wage that must be paid to employees who customarily and regularly receive gratuities or tips. The bill provides that, after June 30, 2012, an employer may claim a credit for gratuities or tips received by an employee against the hourly wage rate paid to the employee in an amount not to exceed 60 percent of the minimum hourly wage rate required by law, and after June 30, 2013, an employer may claim a credit for gratuities and tips in an amount not to exceed 31 percent of the minimum hourly wage rate required by law.
This bill would increase New Jersey's hourly minimum wage to $8.50, and that the rate be adjusted annually based on an increase in the Consumer Price Index from the previous calendar year.
This bill would require employers and health care providers to disseminate certain information regarding temporary disability insurance and family leave insurance in NJ.
Get Informed
Earned Sick Days Legislation Introduced in NJ!
Earned Sick Days: A Win-Win for New Jersey
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Story Bank
The NJ Time to Care Coalition depends on first hand stories to demonstrate to policy makers why access to earned sick time and family leave insurance is a necessity and basic right, and that workers should be paid decent wages. One of the most important things you can do in this fight is to share your story.
We would love to hear from you! You can make a difference by leaving your story here.
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