In November 2014, Montclair voted largely in favor to approve the public ballot question asking if the town should require all businesses to offer paid sick leave to its full- and part-time employees. The ordinance passed by a nearly 3-to-1 margin. Yesterday, March 4, the Montclair Paid Sick Leave ordinance went into effect.
Under Montclair’s Paid Sick Leave law (also known as Earned Sick Days) employees who work for at least 80 hours in a calendar year in the Township must be provided with paid sick time by their employers. The law excludes from this requirement individuals employed by the city, state, or federal government; individuals employed by any New Jersey school district or Board of Education; and a limited number of union members.
“The implementation of guaranteed paid sick leave means catching the flu or child coming down sick won’t result in losing a job or lost wages,” says Montclair Deputy Mayor Bob Russo, a big supporter of the ordinance.
“Montclair was at the vanguard on this issue because residents recognize that paid sick leave benefits employees, employers and the economy as a whole.”
Some details of the ordinance are as follows:
- Employers with 10 or more employees must provide up to 40 hours of paid sick leave over a calendar year.
- Employers with 10 or more employees must provide up to 40 hours of paid sick leave over a calendar year.
- Employers with fewer than 10 employees must provide up to 24 hours of paid sick leave over a calendar year.
- Child care workers, home health care workers and food service workers may accrue up to 40 hours of paid sick leave over a calendar year regardless of the number of people employed by their employer.
- Beginning on March 4, 2015, the above employees accrue at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked. Those who working for their employer for more than 80 calendar days can begin using paid sick time as it is accrued. Otherwise, they can begin using paid sick time 80 calendar days after their employment begins.
- Workers who believe their employers are in violation of the ordinance may file a complaint with the Montclair Department of Health and Human Services or with the Municipal Court.
Montclair is one of only 18 municipalities in the country that have passed a paid sick leave ordinance.
(Photo: Flickr)