In 2013, Jersey City became the first New Jersey municipality to pass an Earned Sick Leave Ordinance. Under the law, employers with 10 or more employees are required to provide up to 40 hours of paid sick leave annually. Employers with less than 10 employees have to provide up to 40 hours of unpaid sick leave annually. Being the first city to pass an earned sick leave law in the state, it comes as no surprise that the ordinance has been modified to clarify some of the language in the Ordinance, and ensure consistency with other New Jersey Paid Sick Time Ordinances.
On November 1, 2015, Jersey City Council voted to expand the Earned Sick Leave Ordinance. Under the amended Ordinance, the definition of “employee” includes part-time and temporary employees. Employers with 10 or more employees must provide up to 40 hours of compensated sick time per year. Employers with less than 10 employees must provide up to 24 hours of paid sick leave and up to 16 hours of unpaid sick leave annually. Individuals who work for employers who employ less than 10 employees and who have accrued both compensated and unpaid sick time must not be required by the employer to exhaust unpaid sick time before using compensated sick time.
Child care workers, home health care workers and food service workers also have the right to 40 hours of paid sick time under the amended ordinance, so long as the hours are accrued in a calendar year. The fine for violating the Ordinance has increased from $1,250 to $2,000. Due to these modifications, it is very likely that the notices provided by The Department of Health and Human Services that must be displayed in the workplace will be revised to reflect the updates. Make sure to visit our website for any updates.