Governor Jon Corzine signed into law paid family leave legislation, A873 - Albano (D1), Oliver (D34), Greenstein (D14), DeAngelo (D14)/S786 - Sweeney (D3), Buono (D18), in a ceremony held on Friday at the State House. 

New Jersey is the third state to inact paid family leave legislation, along with California and Washington.

The legislation allows for six weeks of paid leave to care for a newborn or newly adopted child or sick parent, spouse or child. The legislation went into effect immediately upon signing.

Any employee applying for this paid leave will be eligible to receive benefits after a waiting period of seven consecutive days.  Employers can require employees that have applied for the benefit to take up to two weeks of unused vacation time before receiving the paid family leave -- one week of which will be used to cover the waiting period.

This program will be 100% funded through an employee contribution (no more than 64 cents/wk or $33/year) starting on January 1, 2009. 

All NJ workers who contribute to the program will have the opportunity to draw benefits starting July 1, 2009. 


Source NJAR

Copyright 2008 by Lawrence Yerkes. All Rights Reserved.