New Jersey Earned Sick Leave Law N.J.S.A. 34:11D-1 grants every employee up to 40 hours of paid sick time annually and preempts Jersey City from adopting a separate municipal paid-leave standard, including the city ordinance previously on the books.
Effective October 2018 the New Jersey Earned Sick Leave Law replaced more than a dozen local sick-leave ordinances including Jersey City's 2013 measure. Under N.J.S.A. 34:11D-1 covered employees accrue one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked up to 40 hours per benefit year, usable for personal illness, family care, school closures, or domestic-violence safe time. Paid Family Leave Insurance under N.J.S.A. 43:21-39 provides up to 12 weeks of partial wage replacement funded by employee payroll deductions. The Healthy Workplaces Act preempts further local action.
Denying accrual, retaliating against an employee who uses earned sick leave, demanding excessive medical documentation, or enforcing a stricter policy than the state statute can trigger NJ Department of Labor enforcement and damages.
See how Jersey City's paid leave preemption rules stack up against other locations.
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