A long-stalled bill gained committee approval on June 10 that would offer retroactive paid sick leave during some of the worst days of the pandemic, and for workers who need to take time off after getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

Under Senate Bill 3827, workers would be entitled to up to two weeks to self-quarantine if they are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, if they are awaiting test results, or caring for a sick family member or child.

The sick time could be used through Sept. 30, 2021, and retroactively from Jan. 1, 2021, when the state was in the midst of the second wave, followed by a third wave in March.

Workers would be eligible for the two weeks of sick leave regardless of how long they’ve been at their current employer, as opposed to the already established 40 hours of such time that are tied to how long someone has worked for their current company.

Weinberg

“This will provide significant public health benefits to New Jerseyans by reducing the spread of COVID-19, promoting vaccine access, and ensuring workers aren’t forced to choose between their jobs, and their health and caregiving needs,” reads a statement from the sponsor, retiring Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, D-37th District.

She continued that low-wage and part-time workers were particularly vulnerable, and had a much harder time during the pandemic accessing paid sick time to recover from the virus or take time to get the vaccine.

Kevin Brown, state director for 32BJ SEIU, which represents thousands of airport workers, told lawmakers at the Senate Labor Committee on June 10 that roughly two dozen members had died from the virus, and hundreds more were sick.

He suggested that such a reality could have been avoided if they had access to those benefits.

A recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that many Americans were hesitant to get the vaccine simply because they did not have access to employer-paid sick leave to it and to recover from any side effects.

Parting shot

Brown

More than 4.3 million New Jersey adults have been fully vaccinated; the goal from the Murphy administration is to get to 4.7 million adults by June 30. The vaccines are key to permanent lifting restrictions on businesses and public gatherings.

The bill allows for employers to require documentation for more than three consecutive sick days. And they could receive fully refundable tax credits to cover the cost of paid sick time, capped at $2,000 or $5,111 depending on why the employee called out from work.

Although labor rights groups hailed the measure, business groups were wary about the enactment of the bill, especially at the tail end of the pandemic.

“Now that many businesses are getting back online, they’re experiencing labor shortages. This is not the time to enable additional leave for workers,” said Hillary Chebra, who heads government affairs at the Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey.

Eileen Kean, state director for the National Federation of Independent Businesses, said that employers would face a “logistical nightmare” to comb through months of paid leave records to determine what’s related to COVID-19.

Ray Cantor, who handles government affairs for the New Jersey Business & Industry Association, said the model in Massachusetts was more doable for businesses. In that state, the paid sick time requirement was not retroactive, and the state set up a $75 million fund to compensate employers.