Group Discussion - New Jersey Paid Family Leave Law

Since his inauguration, Governor Phil Murphy signed several pieces of social legislation into law and is poised to sign another. For example, Governor Murphy signed the New Jersey Earned Sick Leave Law which requires employers in this State to provide 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked up to a total of 40 hours. The law took effect October 29, 2018. The law requires employers to allow workers to take earned sick leave for their own illness, to attend a school-related event for their children, for their own illness, to care for other family members when they are ill and even to recover from or to deal with domestic violence situations. .https://nj(dot)gov/labor/wagehour/lawregs/wage_and_hour_laws.html (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Additionally, the Governor signed an extension of the New Jersey Paid Family Leave Law. The law extended the time a worker may receive paid family leave from 6 weeks at about $630 per week to 12 weeks at up 85% of the worker's salary up to $862 per week. Only workers contribute to the fund established for the purpose of paid family leave. The workers' contributions will increase slightly to .012 percent of salary on income up to $124000.00. Employers with 30 or fewer workers are exempt from the law's requirements.
For our second Forum please discuss whether you believe the government should require employers to offer their workers paid sick leave. If so, why? If not, why not? Notice that the Earned Sick Leave Law does not exempt smaller businesses such as in the Paid Family Leave Law. Should small businesses be exempt from the Earned Sick Leave law? Why or why not? Please consider the same questions for the Paid Family Leave Law. Should the government require employers to allow workers to take time off for the care of a sick family member? Should the government require, for this program, a payroll deduction from workers? If so, why? If not, why not. Should either law apply to employers with fewer than 30 workers? If so, why? If not, why not?