New Jersey’s trend towards expanding leave rights and protections for employees continues and creates an even more complex landscape for employers to navigate. Effective July 17, 2026, significant amendments will broaden employee eligibility under the New Jersey Family Leave Act (“NJ FLA”) and provide new reinstatement rights tied to Temporary Disability Insurance (“TDI”) and Family Leave Insurance (“FLI”) benefits under New Jersey’s TDI/FLI anti-retaliation law. Separately, the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (“NJ DOL”) now requires employers to report separations electronically through its online Employer Response portal, which is a new administrative requirement. The key changes and impact on employers are summarized below.

Major Expansion to Family Leave

On January 17, 2026, shortly before leaving office, Governor Murphy signed A.B. 3451/S2950, enacted into law as P.L. 2025, c. 279, which substantially expands NJ FLA coverage and eligibility and adds job protection and reinstatement rights for employees who receive TDI or FLI benefits.

Expands Coverage: Under the NJ FLA, eligible employees may take up to 12 weeks of job-protected family leave during a 24-month period for qualifying reasons, including to care for a covered family member or to bond with a child. The NJ FLA currently applies to employers with 30 or more employees. Effective July 17, 2026, the amendment will lower the coverage threshold to 15 or more employees, bringing many...

Read Full Story: https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxQa1pPcUdQRDdISHBPVzBCYXJv...