“Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop secured the city’s position as a leader for working families this morning by signing the nation’s seventh law guaranteeing workers the right to earn sick days. Thanks to the mayor’s leadership and his action today, more than 30,000 people will no longer have to worry about losing their jobs when they get the flu, a child has strep throat or other health needs arise – and we are one step closer to the day when that is true for all workers in this country.

When this law takes effect next year, Jersey City workers at businesses with 10 or more employees will have the right to earn paid sick days, and workers at smaller businesses will have the right to earn unpaid but job protected sick days. A growing body of evidence shows that paid sick days benefit working families, businesses, the public’s health and local economies, making this a tremendous victory for Jersey City, its families and communities.

Jersey City now joins San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Seattle, Portland, Ore., New York City and the state of Connecticut in establishing a paid sick days standard, adding to the momentum around this basic and common sense policy. We look forward to the passage of more paid sick days laws in New Jersey and across the country. They will pave the way for the federal standard the nation has long needed.”