Corzine Signs Family Leave Bill into Law

Corzine Signs Family Leave Bill into Law

At a State House ceremony on Friday, Gov. Jon Corzine signed into law the Paid Family Leave Bill, which will allow workers to apply for leave to care for a sick relative or a newborn or newly adopted child.

The benefit, to be funded by a deduction in workers’ paychecks of about $33 a year, will allow workers to collect two-thirds of their weekly paychecks, up to $524 a week.

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. New Jersey is the third state to have such a law, after California and Washington.

NJSBA was part of a coalition of businesses and state organizations opposing the bill.

NJSBA believes that benefits subject to local collective bargaining agreements should not be granted to employees through legislative action. The Association also argued that the delivery of sound educational services to children depends on the continuity of classroom instruction, and the law will make that effort even more challenging as schools will utilize more substitute teachers. Some legislators also opposed the bill, stating that the initial costs and payroll deductions are based on estimates that could rise dramatically in the future.

The New Jersey Department of Labor estimates that approximately 38,000 people, or about 1 percent of New Jersey’s workforce, will collect benefits annually.