Under Assembly Bill 3451, amendments to the New Jersey Family Leave Act will go into effect on July 17, 2026. The amendments adjust the employee count for qualifying employers and coverage requirements for employees.

On July 17, 2026, the employee count threshold drops from 30 to 15 employees. On July 17, 2027, it will drop to 10+ employees, and one year later, it will go down to five or more employees. Employers must cover certain employees to take up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave for specific purposes (caring for a child, bonding with a child, providing care to a family member or equivalent, etc.)

Another change is that employees must be employed by covered employers for at least three months and have worked 250+ hours during the previous 12 months to qualify for coverage.

This article is informational and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Consult with an employment lawyer or accountant for additional clarification on how these changes impact your company.