NJBIA Urges Assembly to Reject Paid Sick Leave Mandate

On Dec 15, 2014

The New Jersey Business & Industry Association continues to strongly oppose the mandatory paid sick leave bill now poised for a vote in the state Assembly.   The legislation was approved today by the Assembly Budget Committee sending the proposal on for a floor vote in the lower house.

The bill would require all employers with 10 or more employees to provide nine paid sick days per year and employers with fewer than ten to provide five days.  All days could be carried over from one year to the next.

“Many New Jersey employers already provide their employees with paid sick leave,” said NJBIA President Michele Siekerka.  “We should not punish the vast majority of those who already have a paid sick leave policy because of the few bad actors who don’t.

“Our members are approaching 2015 with caution because of a difficult regulatory and state government climate,” Siekerka said.  “The last thing we should be doing is imposing another government mandate on business that might cause them to keep their wallets closed.

“All employers – even those currently offering paid time off – will be impacted,” NJBIA Assistant Vice President Stefanie Riehl said.  “The bill requires employers to keep records of leave taken by every worker for at least five years.  It contains anti-retaliation provisions that will make it difficult to discipline workers for abusing leave.  It allows leave to be carried over from one year to the next; prescribes reasons leave can be taken (including school closures); and prohibits employers from requiring workers to find their replacements.

“Very few, if any, employers will be able to meet these conditions without making major changes,” Riehl said.

Siekerka added, “Continuing to place mandates on business without considering their overall impact is not helpful at a time when we are trying to ensure New Jersey is more welcoming to business.”

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