“More than 30,000 people in Jersey City, New Jersey, have reason to celebrate today as the state’s first sick days law takes effect. Jersey City’s new law ensures that all workers in the city can earn time they can use when they or a family member gets sick without risking their jobs, and it paves the way for a state standard more than one million New Jerseyans need.

Jersey City’s law guarantees that workers in the city at businesses with 10 or more employees have the right to earn paid sick days, and workers in smaller businesses have the right to earn unpaid sick days. It is the nation’s seventh paid sick days law, following San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Seattle, Portland, Ore., New York City and the state of Connecticut. It will make a tremendous difference for workers, their families, businesses and communities throughout Jersey City.

It is also great news for New Jersey’s working families that, this week, Governor Christie signed a measure that will help prevent discrimination against pregnant workers that often costs these workers their jobs. Together with continued progress on paid sick days and the state’s successful paid family leave insurance program, the new law will create a stronger, fairer and more economically secure New Jersey.

The progress in New Jersey demonstrates that lawmakers in the state recognize the importance of keeping people in their jobs and contributing to local businesses and the economy. We commend the workers, advocates and lawmakers who made these victories possible, and look forward to further progress for working families in New Jersey, in other states and cities, and at the federal level.”