Posted on 04/07/2008 5:17:23 PM PDT by hkusp40
The state Senate today gave final legislative approval to a bill to allow workers to take paid leaves of absence to care for family members. The measure passed by a vote of 21-15 despite the objections of opponents who said it will hurt the state's economy and make New Jersey less competitive. The paid family leave act (A873) would allow workers to apply for up to six weeks off to care for a newborn or newly adopted child, or a sick parent, spouse or child, and collect up to two-thirds of their pay, up to a maximum of $524 a week. The benefit would be funded by an average worker contribution of about $33 a year, levied through a mandatory employee payroll tax. The bill now goes to Gov. Jon Corzine, who has said he will sign it into law. Sponsors say employees should not be forced to choose between their jobs and their families when a new child arrives or a loved one has a health crisis. Opponents contend the measure will add to the cost of doing business in New Jersey and prompt some employers to take their jobs elsewhere. On its way through the Legislature, the bill was substantively re-written to offer broader legal protection for business owners with fewer than 50 employees. It now gives small-business owners the right to fire and replace an employee who takes family leave if the company says it cannot operate without a key position filled.
(Excerpt) Read more at nj.com ...
Welcome and thanks for the post but it might not survive in the “Breaking News” category.
I have no problem if employers want to offer this in order to attract more employees. But the state mandating it is crazy. This will simply add to the cost of doing business in the state.
New Jersey will see business leave in droves.
This is nuts. Why should I pay for someone else’s decision to have a child? Glad I got out when I did.
The mandate is what turns an optional employer benefit into a socialist requirement.
This is NOT A FRIGGIN’ RIGHT! Government has NO business requiring private businesses to cover this.
One of the comments from a reader:
“The reason folks cannot take time off to care for loved ones, is becasue they need to pay 12K a year in property taxes, 7% sales tax on everything and fund helicopters, beach house and jobs for all the relatives of the politicians in Trenton.”
OK, so who on earth would run a business of any sort in New Jersey? I know that if I were running one, I’d probably have moved it to a less-expensive location by now. Either within the US or outside. The socialists have created astronomical cost increases for businesses in this country (especially in leftist states like NJ) and yet they whine the loudest when the businesses leave the country.
You mean like Ohio and Michigan?
I hope to retire one day in Wyoming or Texas. NJ sucks.
I see that NJ is covering NY’s behind over congestion price-gouging.
After a couple highly publicized multi million dollar verdicts against employers who tried to prevent employees from making false claims, business and employees will begin to view it as additional paid sick days.
Will see business leave in droves?
They’ve already seen businesses leave in droves.
Quit your whining. My neighborhood pays almost twice that...
“New Jersey will see business leave in droves.”
And as their revenues fall, will they repeal some of their stupid laws? NO WAY!!! They will just increase the taxes on those who remain. Which will cause even more people to move out of state and revenues to fall more and on and on and on...
Ah, the law of unintended consequences.......the law that Democrat lemmings adhere to as if it came down from on high to Moses on the mount.
Leni
“Government has NO business requiring private businesses to cover this.”
About twenty-five years ago a former Democrat confided in me that he was leaving the party because, when it discovered government could no longer pay the entitlements that get them re-elected, it merely passed the entitlements responsibility onto the employers in the form of mandates, and still the Dems would get credit for being such good guys.
The math doesn’t make much sense to me. Up to $524/week for six weeks means upwards of $3,000 a year. $33 per employee fee pays for it. So they’re saying that barely 1% of employees will take advantage of this. I can’t buy that for a single minute, you’ll see more than that for sure, so it’s already underfunded (not to mention a horrible idea for business).
If the money is collected by the state then the state pays the money to the employee?
In companies that employ less that 50 money is taken from the employees who can be fired if they use the benefit?
This law suck.
Well of course they get the credit, they push the legislation through that allows the state to legally rob people of their money to give to their special interest groups.
Well thanks to this bill, with no job, they wont have to!
Exactly, just like the French. Socialist utopia indeed.
LMAO!!
That toilet New Jersey keeps getting worse and worse!
Hate to say it, but pantloads full of NYCers continue to redeploy to Pennsylvania now that their Democrat votes have fouled New York. So they come here and vote Democrat.
And since every employee will be paying for this, each employee will now have a vested interest in taking six weeks off every year (in addition to all their other time off) to care for suddenly-invented sick family members.
Aside from the financial aspect, think how difficult it would be to run a business or even just manage a department with the added burden of having to shift workload and assignments around for every member of your team taking six weeks off every year.
NJ is hell’s doorstep, just like all socialist states.
That's the exact same lie they told in California. Yeah, if you make minimum wage, you'll pay $33/year. The first year the program went into effect, I don't know if I was more shocked at the $800.00 tax bill or the fact that they deliberately mislead people about the true cost.
Benefits are capped so that you once you make a little more than $40K a year, you get a smaller and smaller percentage of your paycheck as a benefit.
However, contributions aren't capped at a percentage of pay up to that same amount.
It's more wealth redistribution brought to you by Socialists.
I guess people in NJ should be happy that it is only 6 weeks. In Canada, parents get a portion of their paycheck for a full year for maternity leave. Although like in New Jersey if you make a decent amount of money the portion of your paycheck that you will receive will be considerably less than 2/3.
>>Why should I pay for someone else’s decision to have a child?<<
Because the basis of “liberalism” is making everyone else pay for the consequences of someone else’s decisions.
Think about it, every policy they have comes down to this.
There’s going to nobody left but welfare recipients and government employees.
Leftists don’t acknowledge the existance of behavior changes that respond to incentive.
That’s why they hate and fear the free market and capitalism.
Well it sure isn’t socialism if it isn’t government mandated. But I believe we are in agreement. :)
This could be the last “Nail in the coffin” for big business in New Jersey.
If I have a business in Jersey, I open a branch in a prospective state and start staffing. In one year I pull the plug.
Thanks - sorry I couldn’t readily reply.
I’m still digesting the news that NJ has the highest Poverty Rate of all North East states!
I have no problem if employers want to offer this in order to attract more employees. But the state mandating it is crazy. This will simply add to the cost of doing business in the state.”
First of all, no matterwhat anyone says, babies don’t just “arrive”. The mother has to have known for about 6 months that she is pregnant. Most pregnancies today are PLANNED.
So let6’s see what is really happening here:
ALL employees will pay a mandatory fee of about $33 a week- over $1500 a year out of their hard earned pay so that the lady who wants to have kids can collect about $3400 for not working.
These employees include all MEN— and all women who are beyond child bearing age or who could never have children in the first place. As one of the latter, I am pissed about this. Why should I have to fund some other woman’s baby factory???
I say it is discriminatory. You are making people pay for benefits they may never use, and some others will over-use. Corzine must be competing with “mayor” Newsome in SF for the wackiest thing they can put into law.
Rush was right- Once they got the UNPAID leave, they would rant about getting PAID leave.
If I were an employer in New Jersey- I would be looking for another location. UPS can deliver my products.
so I'll pay this tax....
the other thing too...is for people that use their sick time regularly, and don't have much left, or use up all their vacation time too...this is a panacea....free time off for any number of reasons...
I'll bet too...for those who have tons of sick time or vacation time, they will be required to use it all up first before they get anything "free" from the state...
but lets look at the bright side....it'll make a whole new dept for the state plus all those new civil servants and their paychecks and pensions....
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