May Tip of the Month: New Jersey Expands Family Leave Protections Effective July 2026
Effective July 17, 2026, significant amendments to the New Jersey Family Leave Act (NJFLA) will take effect.
These amendments will both broaden employee eligibility and strengthen job protections for employees taking family leave. For example, the law drastically lowers the service and hours thresholds for employee eligibility from 12 months of employment and 1,000 hours worked to three months of employment and 250 hours worked, making it easier for new hires and temporary or part-time employees to qualify for job-protected family leave. The amendments also provide employees with greater discretion in determining the order in which certain protected leave entitlements may be used. Ultimately, the NJFLA amendments will require New Jersey employers to carefully review and revise their applicable leave policies and practices. Employers therefore should begin preparing now to ensure compliance with the amendments ahead of the July 17, 2026, effective date.
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Before proceeding, please note: If you are not a current client of Perkins Coie, please do not include any information in this e-mail that you or someone else considers to be of a confidential or secret nature. Perkins Coie has no duty to keep confidential any of the information you provide. Neither the transmission nor receipt of your information is considered a request for legal advice, securing or retaining a lawyer. An attorney-client relationship with Perkins Coie or any lawyer at Perkins Coie is not established until and unless Perkins Coie agrees to such a relationship as memorialized in a separate writing.