New Jersey Citizen Action, the New Jersey Main Street Alliance and the Rutgers Center for Women and Work have announced a new community education program to inform employees and employers across the state about the new Earned Sick and Safe Days Law.
New Jersey is one of only 11 states that guarantees workers can earn paid sick days.
The law allows workers to earn paid sick time to care for themselves or loved ones, with no risk of retaliation from employers. For every 30 hours a person works, they earn one hour of paid sick time. This law went into effect on Oct. 29.
Trainers are available to come out to offices, community centers, organizational headquarters or businesses and speak to groups as small as five people, as well as large groups, about workers’ new rights under the law and employers’ responsibilities.
Trainers will provide printed materials about the new Earned Sick and Safe Days Law for short-term illness and the New Jersey Family Leave Insurance Law and temporary disability insurance programs for long-term illness and family caregiving that have been in effect since 2009.
Many workers have no idea about these protections; in fact, few New Jerseyans have any idea they are paying into the Family Leave Insurance Program, a state-paid family leave program, and can access paid family leave to bond with a newborn or care for seriously ill family member.
The purpose of this community education program is to increase public awareness about the program to ensure employees are accessing paid sick time without difficulty and employers are fully complying.
To access the written materials and schedule an information session with a trainer, email yarrowwc@smir.rutgers.edu, or call 848-932-1294, or email dena@njcitizenaction.org
Jerome Montes
Communications Director
New Jersey Citizen Action
Highland Park
