New Jersey Earned Sick Leave Law
✓ Verified against official sources · September 1, 2026 N.J.S.A. 34:11D-1 et seq. (Earned Sick Leave Law)
The short answer: New Jersey requires earned sick leave from employers of every size: one hour per 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours per benefit year, with a 40-hour frontloading option and use beginning 120 days after hire.
Accrual rate
1 hour per 30 hours worked (or 40 hours advanced up front)
Annual amount
Up to 40 hours per benefit year; 40 hours carryover
Employers covered
All New Jersey employers, regardless of size
Penalty for non-compliance: Enforced by the NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development, with the Wage Theft Act's remedies behind unpaid sick leave claims.
New Jersey's Earned Sick Leave Law (effective October 29, 2018) covers employers of every size. Per the NJ DOL's official guidance, employers choose between the accrual method — one hour per 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours per benefit year — or advancing at least 40 hours at the start of each benefit year. New employees must be able to use their leave 120 days after their first day or sooner, and up to 40 unused hours carry over (or are paid out at the employer's election under the frontloading route).
Uses include the employee's or a family member's illness and preventive care, domestic or sexual violence needs, public health closures, and school conferences. Claims run through the Department of Labor and Workforce Development with the Wage Theft Act's strengthened remedies behind them.
For employersPick one method and document it: accrual at 1/30 with 40-hour carryover, or advancing the full 40 hours on day one of each benefit year — and set the benefit year in writing, because changing it needs state notice.
For employeesEvery NJ employee earns sick leave — one hour per 30 worked, up to 40 a year — usable 120 days after your first day for illness, family care, school closures, and safety needs.
The full playbook, start to finish
This page covers one rule. The complete lawyer-reviewed guide covers the whole landscape, with sources and every state's rules.
?
New Jersey FAQ
Which New Jersey employers must provide earned sick leave?
All of them — the law has no small-employer exemption. Employers choose between 1-per-30 accrual and advancing 40 hours at the start of each benefit year.
When can a new NJ employee first use sick leave?
120 calendar days after their first day of employment, or sooner if the employer allows.
§
Official sources
Educational content, not legal advice. Rules change — every fact above was checked against the linked official sources on the date shown.
⇄
How other states compare
| State | Accrual rate | Annual amount | Employers covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 40 hrs (under 15 employees) / 56 hrs (15+) | All employers — the cap varies at the 15-employee line |
| Arizona | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 40 hours (15+ employees) / 24 hours (under 15) | All employers — the cap varies by size |
| California | 1 hour per 30 hours worked (alternative schedules allowed) | Use at least 40 hours / 5 days; accrual cap 80 hours / 10 days | Nearly all employers, regardless of size |
| Colorado | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | Up to 48 hours per year (+80-hour PHE supplement when declared) | All employers — full-time, part-time and temporary employees |
| Connecticut | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | Up to 40 hours per year; 40 hours carryover | 11+ employees now; every employer from Jan 1, 2027 |
| District of Columbia | 1 hour per 37 / 43 / 87 hours worked, by employer size | 7 days (100+) / 5 days (25–99) / 3 days (≤24) | All D.C. employers — tiered by headcount |
| Illinois | 1 hour per 40 hours worked | Up to 40 hours per 12-month period — usable for any purpose | Nearly all employers (school and park districts excluded) |
| Maine | 1 hour per 40 hours worked | Up to 40 hours per year — usable for any reason | More than 10 employees in Maine for 120+ days a year (non-seasonal) |
| Maryland | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | Earn up to 40 hrs/yr; use and bank up to 64 hrs | All — paid at 15+ employees, unpaid at 14 or fewer |
| Massachusetts | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | Up to 40 hours per calendar year | All — paid at 11+ employees, unpaid below |
| Michigan | 1 hour per 30 hours worked (frontloading allowed) | Use up to 72 hrs/yr — 40 hrs at small businesses (≤10 workers) | All employers with one or more employees |
| Minnesota | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | Up to 48 hours per year; bank up to 80 hours with carryover | All employers with one or more employees |
| Missouri | None — the mandate was repealed effective Aug 28, 2025 | No state requirement — employer policy controls | No Missouri employer is required to provide sick leave |
| Nebraska | 1 hour per 30 hours worked, after 80 hours of employment | 40 hrs (11–19 employees) / 56 hrs (20+) | 11+ employees — employers with 10 or fewer are exempt |
| Nevada | 0.01923 hours per hour worked (≈1 per 52; frontloading allowed) | ≈40 hours per benefit year for full-time work — any purpose | Private employers — under-50-employee hardship and other carve-outs |
| New Jersey | 1 hour per 30 hours worked (or 40 hours advanced up front) | Up to 40 hours per benefit year; 40 hours carryover | All New Jersey employers, regardless of size |
| New Mexico | 1 hour per 30 hours worked (or 64 hours frontloaded Jan 1) | Use up to 64 hours per year; 64-hour carryover | All private employers, regardless of size |
| New York | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 56 hrs paid (100+) / 40 paid (5–99) / 40 unpaid (0–4, ≤$1M income) | Every NY employer — the tier sets paid vs. unpaid and the cap |
| Oregon | 1 hour per 30 hours worked (or 1-1/3 per 40) | Up to 40 hours per year | All — paid at 10+ employees, unpaid under 10 |
| Rhode Island | 1 hour per 35 hours worked | Up to 40 hours per year | Paid at 18+ employees; smaller employers provide unpaid leave |
| Vermont | 1 hour per 52 hours worked | Up to 40 hours per 12-month period | All Vermont employers |
| Washington | 1 hour per 40 hours worked | No annual cap — leave is usable as accrued; 40-hour carryover | All employers covered by the Minimum Wage Act |
+