Bloomfield Township Council Unanimously Approves Paid Sick Time Ordinance

During their public meeting on Tuesday, March 3, the Bloomfield Township Council unanimously passed an ordinance guaranteeing a worker’s right to earn paid sick time, becoming the ninth municipality in New Jersey to do so.

“Earned sick leave is the right thing to do. It’s an important issue facing working families and small business owners in Bloomfield,” said Mayor Michael Venezia. “Our community is joining a list of municipalities that are standing with small business owners to protect the health and well-being of our workforce.”

“Tonight was historic,” stated Venezia on his Twitter page following the meeting.

Approximately 8,600 workers in Bloomfield can’t currently earn sick time, according to estimates from the Center for Women and Work at Rutgers University.

“Bloomfield is the first municipality to pass earned sick time in 2015, but it won’t be the last,” stated Analilia Mejia, executive director of New Jersey Working Families, in a release. “Each local victory builds momentum for our ultimate goal of a statewide bill that guarantees earned sick time to the 1.2 million New Jerseyans who face a terrible choice between their job and their family’s health when illness strikes.”

Other municipalities that have passed similar sick time laws include: Jersey City, Newark, East Orange, Irvington, Passaic, Paterson, Trenton and Montclair.

“The workers who can’t earn sick time tend to be the very people who need them the most,” stated Marcia Marley, President of BlueWave NJ. “They are predominantly low-wage workers already struggling to make ends meet. For these workers a cut in pay can be devastating. This law will give working families in Bloomfield the kind of basic economic security so many simply take for granted.”

Bloomfield’s earned sick time law will allow private-sector workers to earn one hour of sick time for every 30 hours worked. Those that work in businesses with 10 or more employees can earn five paid sick days per year; workers in businesses with nine or fewer employees would be eligible to earn three paid sick days per year. In addition, employees directly in contact with the public, such as food service and daycare workers would be eligible to earn five sick days regardless of company size. The days can be used to care for themselves or for sick children, siblings, parents, grandparents or grandchildren.

The ordinance will take effect in 120 days, except in the case of employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement, in which case it will apply on the date of the termination of their contract.

Some points cited in the text of the ordinance:

· Most workers in Bloomfield will at some time during each year need limited time off from work to take care of his or her own health needs or the health needs of members of their families.

· Nationally, nearly forty percent of private sector workers are without any paid sick time. In addition, many workers who do have paid sick time are disciplined for using it or cannot use that time to care for sick children.

· Low-income workers are significantly less likely to have paid sick time than other members of the workforce. Nationally, only one in five of the lowest-income workers (21 percent) has access to paid sick time.

· Providing workers time off to attend to their own health care and the health care of family members will ensure a healthier and more productive workforce in Bloomfield.

· Paid sick time will allow parents to provide personal care for their sick children. Parental care makes children’s recovery faster and can prevent future health problems. Parents who don’t have paid sick time are more than twice as likely as parents with paid sick days to send a sick child to school or daycare, and five times as likely to report taking their child or a family member to a hospital emergency room because they were unable to take time off work during their regular work hours.

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