For Immediate Release
Washington, DC – The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) sent a letter to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie urging him to veto New Jersey Assembly Bill 4927 due to the bill hindering large employer’s ability to implement and administer consistent paid leave programs across state lines.
ERIC, the only national association that advocates exclusively for large employers on health, retirement, and compensation public policies at the federal, state, and local levels, recognizes the importance of paid family leave, but believes it should be done in a manner that affords employers who already offer equal or greater leave the highest level of flexibility.
Assembly Bill 4927 would alter the state’s paid family leave laws that have been in effect since 2009. The current law allows employees to receive paid leave benefits to care for a child, parent, or spouse, mirroring the definition of “family member” under FMLA, which has been applied uniformly and consistently to all 50 states. The proposed bill would add siblings, parents-in-law, grandparents, and grandchildren to the state’s definition of a “family member.”
“Large employers need the flexibility to create a paid leave program that suits their individual workforce and apply that program across a number of states. A mandate on how paid leave can be used that differs from the majority of other states will only increase the compliance and financial cost to employers who are already providing quality benefits ,” said Bryan Hum, Retirement and Compensation Associate, ERIC.”
ERIC encouraged the Governor to allow the state to continue with its current law as it has proven to be effective, reliable, and beneficial to both employees and employers.