Politics & Government

Newark Council Advances Sick-Time Law

Legislation would affect around 40,000 employees of city businesses

The Newark Municipal Council Wednesday unanimously voted in favor of an ordinance that would require employers in the city to provide workers sick leave, winning the governing body plaudits from activists.  

The officials “should be commended for advancing a bold proposal that will bolster Newark’s economy, protect its public health, and ensure nearly 40,000 Newark residents will no longer have to choose between their health and their livelihoods,” Phyllis Salowe-Kaye, Executive Director of New Jersey Citizen Action and spokesperson for the statewide Time to Care Coalition, said in a statement.

The legislation, which must still be approved in a final vote expected sometime in the next few weeks, similar to a law in Jersey City, would allow private-sector workers to accrue an hour of sick time for every 30 hours worked. Those at companies with fewer than nine workers could earn up to three sick days a year, while those at larger companies could earn up to five days a year.

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Workers who come in contact with the general public, however, would all be eligible for up to five days a year, regardless of the company’s size.


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