FV@W’s Congratulates New Jersey’s Paid leave Expansion

Family Values @ Work congratulates our network partner, the New Jersey Time to Care Coalition, on today’s victory to strengthen their landmark Family Leave Insurance law. Research on New Jersey’s original law, implemented in 2009, showed that too many workers with caregiving responsibilities – especially low-wage workers – faced barriers to accessing the program. Several years of advocacy by this powerful coalition, informed by the research, created a path for New Jersey lawmakers to improve the program in five significant ways: by increasing the amount of wages workers can recoup while taking leave; increasing the number of weeks of leave to 12 – bringing New Jersey’s law in line with other states’ laws; extending job protection while on leave to an additional 357,000 workers; expanding the types of family members for whom a caregiver can claim leave; and ensuring those assisting a family member who is a victim of domestic or sexual violence can access paid family leave.

We hope Governor Christie will allow this research-informed best practice that will markedly improve New Jersey’s family leave insurance program and stand to benefit thousands of families across the state to become law.