Job protection is an important component of strong paid family and medical leave programs, and ensures that workers aren’t forced to risk their job security when they take leave to care for themselves or a loved one. Thanks to a new amendment guaranteeing job protection under the New Jersey Family Leave Act, starting July 17, 2026, workers in the state will have important new rights to take leave to care for themselves and their loved ones without worrying about whether or not their jobs will be waiting for them when they return.
Soon, New Jersey workers who take paid medical leave for serious health needs like cancer, surgery, or pregnancy-related health needs, will be entitled to return to their jobs at the end of their leave – a protection currently unavailable to New Jersey workers outside the unpaid, federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Additionally, more workers in the state will be able to take job-protected family leave to care for a loved one or bond with a new child, and qualify for that leave more quickly.
Job protection has minimal costs to employers that are far outweighed by the benefits to them: strong paid leave programs improve employee productivity, morale, and retention, and reduce turnover for employers. Nearly 1 in 3 seriously ill workers either loses their jobs, or has to change jobs as a result of their illness. Employers pay high costs for employee turnover, as replacing a worker costs an estimated 40% of a frontline worker’s annual salary and up to 80% for a technical role.
Keeping quality workers on the job saves employers money, and allows workers to focus on what’s most important in their lives without worrying about their income or their job. Workers who face serious health needs can recover better when they aren’t forced to stress over whether they’ll lose their job for taking the leave they need. Job protection may also mean continued health care coverage, which is often especially important than ever when a worker needs to take medical leave.
No one chooses when to get sick or injured, and workers should not be punished when they or their loved ones face health challenges. New Jersey’s expanded job protection law will make businesses in the state more attractive employers by exemplifying truly family-friendly policies, and will be a lifeline for countless workers and families.