After One Year, New Jersey Labor Law Considered a Success

Trenton, NJA one-year-old New Jersey labor law that allows for paid family leave has been considered a success thus far, according to the Asbury Park Press.

Last year the Garden State introduced a paid family leave program that allows mothers to be paid while taking time off to give birth and care for their newborns.

Some business advocates were worried that people would abuse the law, but so far that fear has proven unfounded.

"We had told our members, based on our research, there would not be a deluge of people taking the leave and it would not result in undue disruption of the workplace, and one year later that's exactly the case," John Sarno, president of the Employers Association of New Jersey, told the news source.

When former Governor Jon S. Corzine signed the bill into law last year, New Jersey became just the second state, after California, to provide pay for those who take time off from work to care for their families.

New Jersey employees pay an average of just $26 per year into the family leave insurance fund, which provides the money for those who need it.