• On January 17, 2026, outgoing New Jersey governor Phil Murphy signed into law a bill that will expand the reach and protections of the NJFLA.
• The new law also appears to greatly expand state law, including new job-protection provisions for employees taking medical leave.
• The new law takes effect on July 17, 2026, six months following its enactment.

Smaller Employers Affected and Newer Employees Eligible

The new law amends the NJFLA to cover small employers and reduce the minimum amount of time an employee must be employed before being eligible for leave.

The NJFLA currently provides twelve weeks of leave every twenty-four months to eligible employees who require time off to care for a seriously ill family member or bond with a new child. To be eligible for NJFLA leave under existing law, an employee must: (1) work for an employer with thirty or more employees; (2) have been employed at least twelve months; and (3) have worked at least 1,000 hours in the twelve months preceding the requested leave start date.

The new legislation changes each of these eligibility requirements. Now, an employee will be eligible for NJFLA leave if the employee: (1) works for an employer with fifteen or more employees; (2) has been employed for at least three months; and (3) has worked at least 250 hours in the preceding three months.

New Medical Leave Job-Protection Provisions

The new law also appears to greatly expand state law to include new job-protection provisions for employees taking...

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