NJSBA Urges Action on Paid Family Leave

NJSBA Urges Action on Paid Family Leave

NJSBA continues to voice opposition to the Paid Family Leave Bill, which would allow workers to apply for leave to care for a sick relative or a newborn or newly adopted child, collecting a maximum of $525 a week.

The benefit would be funded by worker contributions of about $33 a year through a payroll tax.

The bill, A-873 (Albano, Oliver), would affect all private and government employers, including school districts, that are subject to the state’s unemployment compensation law.

A Senate vote could come as early as Monday, April 7. NJSBA is urging board members to immediately contact their senators and urge them to vote “no” on Paid Family Leave.

Lobbyists from NJSBA’s Governmental Relations Department have attended every legislative committee hearing on the issue and have communicated with all 120 legislators about the impact that such a mandate would have on school districts.

NJSBA Position NJSBA believes that benefits subject to local collective bargaining agreements should not be granted to employees through legislation that establishes minimum, maximum or absolute levels of benefits for public employees. School district employees typically enjoy a number of paid leaves for various reasons, including personal time, illness, and care for family members. Adding an additional paid leave benefit of six weeks could cause financial hardships to districts, which must provide staff to replace workers who are not at their jobs.

NJSBA notes that the delivery of sound educational services to children depends on the continuity of classroom instruction. A-873 will make this mission even more challenging

In addition, A-873 takes effect immediately upon signing. School boards, which now operate under a tax levy cap of 4 percent—and which have already adopted proposed budgets for submission to voters—will not have the additional funding necessary to pay for the costs attached to this legislation.

On March 3, the Senate approved its version of the Paid Family Leave Bill, S-786. However, a constitutional requirement calls for revenue-raising bills to originate in the Assembly, and the Senate version was substituted by the Assembly bill. On March 13, the Assembly approved A-873 by a 46-30 vote.