Paid sick leave is legal in New Jersey – and employees can use it to get paid time off. their COVID-19 vaccine, including the trip to the appointment and recovery from the side effects. Please note:
- In most cases, employers cannot require documentation for one or two days of consecutive sick leave.
- For a scheduled appointment, employers can require up to 7 days' notice.
- If sick leave cannot be planned in advance, employers can only require employees to notify them as soon as possible.
Employers of all sizes are required to provide temporary, part-time, and full-time employees with up to 40 hours of paid sick leave per year. Employees accumulate one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked, or employers can provide the 40 hours in advance.
Employees can also use their paid sick leave time to:
- Caring for your own physical or mental illness or injury, or that of a loved one.
- Taking a COVID-19 test or being quarantined at the advice of a healthcare professional or public health authority.
- Caring for your children when the school or daycare is closed due to an epidemic or a public health emergency.
It is against the law to retaliate against an employee for using sick leave or requiring them to find a replacement for their schedule. PTO policies must comply with the requirements of the law.
For more information, visit mysickdays.nj.gov
For more information visit: Notice to Employees Regarding Sick Leave and Covid-19
Source: NJDOL: Covid-19 VacCinema Earned Sick Leave Memo to All NJ Employers