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8 min read

New Jersey Paid Family Leave Explained: 2025 Coverage, Eligibility, and Compliance

US payroll

PEO

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Author

Shannon Ongaro

Last Update

June 26, 2025

Table of Contents

New Jersey’s unpaid family leave program

What it covers

Eligibility requirements and applicability

New Jersey Paid Leave: Family Leave Insurance (FLI)

New Jersey Parental vs Family Leave and the FMLA

Stay compliant in New Jersey with Deel PEO

Key takeaways
  1. New Jersey Family Leave Insurance (FLI) provides up to 12 weeks of paid leave in a 12-month period for bonding with a new child or caring for a seriously ill family member.
  2. The NJFLA provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave in a 24-month period for eligible employees of covered employers.
  3. With Deel PEO, you can simplify New Jersey leave compliance and manage payroll, benefits, and leave tracking in one place.

New Jersey’s paid family leave laws come with specific rules—and real compliance risks if you get them wrong.

Between the New Jersey Family Leave Act (NJFLA), Family Leave Insurance (FLI), and federal FMLA, employers need to track eligibility, notice periods, job protections, and payroll coordination across multiple programs.

For HR and payroll teams, staying ahead of these requirements is key to protecting both your people and your business.

In this guide, we’ll walk through what you need to know for 2025, from who qualifies for FLI and NJFLA to how the programs interact and what steps to take to stay compliant.

Deel supports companies of all sizes with complex leave requirements across the US. This resource is designed to help you meet your obligations in New Jersey while maintaining a smooth employee experience and reducing administrative overhead.

New Jersey’s unpaid family leave program

New Jersey’s Family Leave Act (NJFLA) provides eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave in a 24-month period for family-related reasons such as bonding with a new child or caring for a seriously ill family member.

The law covers employers with 30+ employees (worldwide) and runs concurrently with the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) when both apply, ensuring workers receive whichever protection is more favorable.

Learn more: State-by-State Guide to Maternity Leave in the United States

What it covers

New Jersey combines parental and family leave into one 12-week allowance (per 24-month period) under the NJFLA. Employees can use this time for any mix of covered family reasons up to the 12-week cap.

Leave type Length of leave
Parental leave: Time to bond with a newborn or newly placed child (birth, adoption, foster care) 12 weeks
Family leave: Time to care for a family member or equivalent with a serious health condition 12 weeks
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Eligibility requirements and applicability

Employee eligibility

To qualify for leave under the New Jersey Family Leave Act, an employee must have worked for their employer for at least 12 months and logged at least 1,000 hours in the past 12 months. The employee must also work at a location in New Jersey.

Employer applicability

The NJFLA applies to all employers with 30 or more employees globally. Public agencies are covered regardless of size.

Job protection and benefits

Eligible employees are entitled to return to the same or an equivalent position with equal pay, benefits, and working conditions. Employers must continue group health insurance during the leave period, and employees are responsible for maintaining their regular contributions toward premiums.

For more on payroll requirements in the state, see: Your Ultimate Guide to New Jersey Payroll

How to apply

Employees must give at least 30 days’ notice when the need for leave is foreseeable. If the leave is unforeseeable, notice should be given as soon as practicable. Employers are allowed to request medical certification, which employees must return within 15 days.

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The New Jersey Family Leave Insurance (FLI) program is part of the state's temporary disability insurance program and provides paid leave benefits to eligible workers. The FLI program provides cash benefits to employees who need to take time off from work to bond with a newborn or newly adopted child, or to care for a seriously ill family member.

Coverage: Paid parental leave, health reasons, caregiving
Employee contribution 0.33% of wages up to $165,400, with a maximum contribution of $545.82 per year
Employer contribution 0%
Maximum entitlement 85% of the average weekly wage up to $1055 per week
Duration 12 weeks

New Jersey FLI eligibility (2025)

Employees must have worked for at least 20 weeks, earning at least $303 per week or earned a total of $15,200 in the base year (the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before a claim is made). All employers in New Jersey must comply with the Family Leave Insurance program regardless of their size.

What New Jersey FLI covers

Coverage reason Description Length of benefit
Bonding with a new child Either or both parents during the first year after birth or placement for adoption 12 weeks
Caring for a family member Care for a family member with a serious health condition 12 weeks
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FLI program benefits in New Jersey

Employers may not require employees to use paid time off or sick leave in order to claim benefits under the Family Leave Insurance program. Employees may use these accruals in addition to any FLI benefit.
Wage replacement is 85% of the average salary up to $1055 per week. Employees may claim up to 12 weeks of benefits in a 12-month period.

Job protections

The FLI program is a wage replacement program and in and of itself does not provide for job protection. However, job protection may be provided under the New Jersey Family Leave Act (NJFLA) or the federal Family Medical Leave Act.

How to claim FLI benefits

Employees must make their claims directly to the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Apply online for FLI benefits.

New Jersey Parental vs Family Leave and the FMLA

In New Jersey, parental and family leave laws interact closely with the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). When both the New Jersey Family Leave Act (NJFLA) and FMLA apply, leave runs concurrently, and employees are entitled to whichever law provides the more generous protections.

Notably, NJFLA has a broader definition of family, covering relationships such as in-laws and domestic partners.

However, NJFLA does not apply to an employee’s own serious health condition, whereas FMLA does. For example, an employee could take 12 weeks of FMLA for pregnancy recovery, then an additional 12 weeks of NJFLA for bonding with their child, for a total of up to 24 weeks of job-protected leave.

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Stay compliant in New Jersey with Deel PEO

New to managing parental and family leave in New Jersey? With Deel PEO, you can offload the complexity of compliance and let experts handle the process for you. We act as your trusted partner for HR, payroll, and benefits, ensuring your company follows New Jersey leave laws while you focus on your business.

Here’s what Deel PEO provides:

  • Fully in-house operations: Deel’s platform and team manage everything from leave tracking to payroll adjustments internally
  • Expert payroll, HR, and benefits compliance: Our specialists stay on top of Rhode Island’s regulations (like parental leave and tax updates)
  • Exclusive Aetna International health plans: Access health insurance options that cover your US W-2 employees globally
  • 60+ domestic benefit plans: Offer competitive benefits packages tailored to US teams
  • Trainings, written policies, on-demand HR support: Compliant policy templates, manager training, and expert guidance

Ready to simplify New Jersey leave compliance? Book a 30-minute call with our experts to see how Deel PEO can support your team.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice.

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About the author

Shannon Ongaro is a content marketing manager and trained journalist with over a decade of experience producing content that supports franchisees, small businesses, and global enterprises. Over the years, she’s covered topics such as payroll, HR tech, workplace culture, and more. At Deel, Shannon specializes in thought leadership and global payroll content.