To cover the cost, employees may lose other benefits and have less flexibility when they need leave time
TRENTON, NJ (April 12, 2018) – As the New Jersey state Senate considers a bill today to mandate paid leave for all private sector employees, lawmakers are hearing from small business owners who say it will be difficult to afford the cost of that legislation. The employers are concerned that the measure, which is meant to help their employees, will hurt them instead. Members of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) New Jersey have written 379 emails to their state Senators asking them to vote against A1827.
Donna Stewart, who owns Stewart Family Chiropractic in Morris with her husband Gary, wrote, “Forcing us to pay for sick leave will create a hardship for us and our employees. In order to keep payroll within our budget, we will have no choice but to cut hours, reduce raises, and decrease employee bonuses and regular vacation time.”
“There is an outpouring of concern from job creators across the state who see this legislation as harmful to their small business and their employees.” said the State Director of NFIB NJ, Laurie Ehlbeck. “When one worker takes leave, a temp may have to be hired, or other workers might need additional training. Those may be additional labor costs that small companies simply can’t afford.”
The owner of a metal supply company in the Brunswick area told his Senator, “If legislators were actually businessmen, they would understand. Unfortunately, most are completely out of touch with the thousands of small business owners like me and the challenges of opening, running, and maintaining a small business.”
A Cape May business owner said “As a seasonal business that hires high school and college students, this bill would wreak unintended and catastrophic results on businesses like mine. New Jersey has thousands of businesses that are seasonal and make their livelihoods in eight short weeks. This bill would create such a hardship for many of these businesses that it would put them out of business.”
The paid leave bill would impact businesses of every size. Full- and part-time employees could accrue up to 40 hours of paid leave. Workers could be able to take time off for themselves, immediate family, partners, extended family, an even to care for an unrelated person they designate.
“If the Senate passes paid leave, they are sending a message that New Jersey is not open for business,” added Ehlbeck. “We could see companies move to more business-friendly states, or close up shop. When they go, the jobs go with them.”
