Significant amendments to the New Jersey Family Leave Act (NJFLA) take effect this week — on July 17, 2026. The NJFLA will expand coverage to more businesses, significantly shorten the time employees must work to qualify, and provide job protection for those receiving Temporary Disability Insurance or Family Leave Insurance.

Employers with 15 or more employees (decreased from 30) will now be covered by the NJFLA. Also, an employee must work for an employer for only 3 months with at least 250 hours worked in the previous 12 months (reduced from 12 months with at least 1,000 hours worked).

The NJFLA will now apply to more employers and more employees.

The NJFLA entitles eligible employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job‑protected family leave in a 24‑month period for the following purposes:

  • bonding with a child (beginning within a year of birth, adoption, or foster care placement);
  • caring for a family member or the equivalent with a serious health condition;
  • caring for a family member or equivalent who is isolated or quarantined because of suspected exposure to a communicable disease during a state of emergency; or
  • providing care or treatment for a child whose school or place of care is closed by order of a public official due to an epidemic of a communicable disease or other public health emergency during a state of emergency.

NJFLA leave is unpaid, but employees may be eligible for partial wage replacement through New Jersey Family Leave Insurance. Employees are entitled to reinstatement to the same or an equivalent position upon return from leave, and employers may not interfere with or retaliate against employees who exercise NJFLA rights.

Keep in mind that the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) still applies to employers with 50 or more employees and to employees who work at least 1,250 hours in the previous 12 months. FMLA and NJFLA can run concurrently.

The NJFLA will be revised again on July 17, 2027, to apply to private employers with only 10 or more employees; and then on July 17, 2028, to employers with 5 or more employees.

Employers should review their policies, evaluate eligibility, and train employees to deal with the increased NJFLA coverage beginning this week.

If you have any questions or if you have any other employment-related questions, please contact Ursula Leo, Employment Law Practice Leader, at (973) 729-1880 or via email, uleo@lcrlaw.com.