ERIC fought back against SB 3827, convincing state lawmakers that the paid leave measure proposed by the bill was costly, duplicative, and unnecessary. Importantly, New Jersey workers already have access to substantial state-mandated earned sick leave benefits provided by employers, which were further expanded in 2020 to allow employees to use their leave explicitly for COVID-19 circumstances.
Additionally, the bill did not contain any tax credits or financial assistance for employers with more than 500 employees, amounting to an unfunded mandate for employers already vulnerable during the pandemic. Lawmakers acknowledged the lack of need for such a measure and tabled the bill for the year.