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Read. Follow. Verify.New Jersey bill prohibits firing workers for missing shifts during state emergencies and travel bans
Last action · January 13, 2026: Introduced, Referred to Assembly Labor CommitteeSponsor: Gabriel Rodriguez
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What This Bill Would Do
Employers are prohibited from firing or penalizing workers who miss work due to a state-declared emergency and official travel restrictions, while also banning employers from forcing workers to use paid or unpaid leave for those absences.
Workers gain legal protections against job loss and the forced depletion of sick or personal leave during severe weather or disaster evacuations, while non-exempt businesses face civil penalties reaching up to $10,000 for non-compliance.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
New Jersey employees
Workers are protected from termination, adverse employment actions, and mandatory leave usage when unable to travel to work during a declared state of emergency.
New Jersey employers
Employers are barred from penalizing absent workers during emergency travel advisories and face civil penalties of up to $10,000 for violations, though they are not required to pay wages for unworked hours.
Healthcare personnel and public utilities
Medical personnel, healthcare facilities, public utilities, and public safety agencies are explicitly excluded from the bill's definitions and requirements.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Am I still required to be paid by my employer if I cannot work during a declared state of emergency?
Can my employer force me to use my sick or vacation days while I am stuck at home during a travel ban?
When do I legally have to return to work after an emergency?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
1 action- Jan 13, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced, Referred to Assembly Labor Committee
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Connected Entities
Sources
njleg.state.nj.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy45Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz35Current news / social attention level
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