Help is on the way for working family caregivers in New Jersey

 

Across New Jersey more than 1.1 million family caregivers help their parents, spouses and other loved ones so they can remain at home – where they want to be. Family caregiving is a labor of love, but it is also complex, costly, demanding, and stressful. The majority of family caregivers also juggle full or part-time jobs while caregiving.

 

As workers struggle to balance caregiving with their job responsibilities, many end up facing economic hardship as the demands of their caregiving role leads to missed work and even job loss. But there is hope. Help is on the way for the more than 1.2 million workers in New Jersey who do not currently have access to paid sick leave through their job.

 

In May 2018, New Jersey became the 10 ^th state in the nation to require employers to provide paid sick leave for workers. AARP was a strong supporter of the legislation, launching a statewide campaign to build support for passage of the law. The law, which goes into effect in October 2018, allows employees to accrue one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours per year. The law also allows workers to take earned sick leave to care for a family member – a lifesaver for caregivers in New Jersey who provide unpaid care valued at over $13 billion every year in our state.

 

Workers across the state can now rest a bit easier without fear of losing their paychecks, or even their jobs, to care for themselves or a loved one. AARP is committed to continuing to advocate for and support New Jersey’s 1.1 million family caregivers.