On November 3, 2015, voters in Elizabeth, New Jersey overwhelmingly approved a paid sick leave law that will require private employers to provide paid sick leave to employees. The law is anticipated to take effect on March 2, 2016. Elizabeth is New Jersey’s fourth largest city and joins Bloomfield, East Orange, Irvington, Jersey City, Montclair, Newark, Passaic, Paterson and Trenton, who have all adopted similar paid sick leave policies.

Elizabeth’s paid sick leave law will mirror those in other New Jersey municipalities. Because Elizabeth has yet to post or publish a full copy of the new law, it is anticipated that the new law will allow employees who provide food service, child care or home health care services, or who work for employers with ten (10) or more employees, to accrue up to forty (40) hours of paid sick leave each calendar year. Employers in Elizabeth with fewer than ten (10) employees will be required to provide up to twenty-four (24) hours of paid sick leave each year. All employees will accrue one (1) hour of paid sick time for every thirty (30) hours worked. These paid sick days can be used by employees to care for themselves or other family members.

Employers with operations in Elizabeth should monitor the City of Elizabeth’s website for a full copy of the ordinance, and should thereafter undertake review of their current paid sick leave policies to determine compliance with the ordinance, including any notice and posting requirements. We will continue to monitor the paid sick leave law in Elizabeth for further developments.