Short answer. 1 hour of earned sick leave for every 30 hours worked. Up to 40 hours of earned sick leave per benefit year. Use may begin: employees must be able to use earned sick leave 120 days after their first day of employment, or sooner.
At a glance
- Law
- New Jersey Earned Sick Leave Law
- In effect
- October 2018.
- Accrual
- 1 hour of earned sick leave for every 30 hours worked.
- Yearly limit
- Up to 40 hours of earned sick leave per benefit year.
- Use may begin
- Employees must be able to use earned sick leave 120 days after their first day of employment, or sooner.
- Agency
- New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development
Example with dates
Suppose someone at an employer in the "any number of employees" group starts on Monday, January 11, 2027 and works 30 hours every week. At 1 hour per 30 hours worked, that's 1 hour a week, and the first year comes to 40 hours, with the accrual cap of 40 hours reached on Monday, October 18, 2027. The latest an employer could hold off use is Tuesday, May 11, 2027.
- By Sunday, April 11, 2027: 12 hours
- By Sunday, July 11, 2027: 25 hours
- By Tuesday, January 11, 2028: 40 hours
Your own figures: open the calculator set to New Jersey.
What the time covers
The employee's or a loved one's care, coping with domestic or sexual violence (including safety planning or a shelter stay), and caring for a child when school or child care is closed due to an epidemic or public health emergency.
Unused hours at year end
Up to 40 hours of unused earned sick leave carries over into the next benefit year.
Front-loading instead of accrual
Allowed: employees may be advanced at least 40 hours on the first day of the benefit year.
Smaller employers and who is covered
Employers of all sizes must provide paid earned sick leave to full-time, part-time and temporary employees.
Notices, posters and statements
Employers must display the Earned Sick Leave poster and give each employee written notice of the right to earned sick leave.
Not stated on the official pages we read: local ordinances.
More for New Jersey employers: Payroll and leave tracking for New Jersey small businesses and nanny and home aide payroll in new jersey, and the New Jersey Small Employer HR Kit.
Official sources
- Earned Sick Leave Is the Law in New Jersey (NJ Department of Labor) (checked November 2026)
- Earned Sick Leave: What Employers Need to Know, MW-566 (NJ Department of Labor) (checked November 2026)
Rules as published on the pages above, checked November 2026. General information, not legal advice; we are not lawyers. A city ordinance, union contract or written policy can give employees more.
Questions employers ask
How much paid sick leave do employees earn in New Jersey?
1 hour of earned sick leave for every 30 hours worked. Up to 40 hours of earned sick leave per benefit year.
When can a new employee start using sick leave in New Jersey?
Employees must be able to use earned sick leave 120 days after their first day of employment, or sooner.
Does unused sick time carry over to the next year in New Jersey?
Up to 40 hours of unused earned sick leave carries over into the next benefit year.
Can a New Jersey employer front-load sick leave instead of tracking accrual?
Allowed: employees may be advanced at least 40 hours on the first day of the benefit year.
Do small employers in New Jersey have to provide it?
Employers of all sizes must provide paid earned sick leave to full-time, part-time and temporary employees.
What can New Jersey sick leave be used for?
The employee's or a loved one's care, coping with domestic or sexual violence (including safety planning or a shelter stay), and caring for a child when school or child care is closed due to an epidemic or public health emergency.
All states: paid sick leave laws by state · Nevada · New York