Legal Alert: Jersey City Passes Paid Sick Leave Law; Applies to Employees Who Work At Least 80 Hours Per Calendar Year in City

Executive Summary: The Jersey City Council voted 7-1 to pass a bill that will provide paid sick leave for workers in New Jersey’s second largest city. Any business with 10 or more employees must offer as many as five paid sick days per year. Businesses with fewer employees will be required to provide unpaid sick days. The ordinance carries civil penalties, creates a private right of action for aggrieved employees, and empowers the Jersey City Department of Health and Human Services to audit employers and investigate and adjudicate complaints.