Governor Phil Murphy enacted a significant new law last summer expanding the definition of "sick days" for teachers throughout the state of New Jersey. This legislation is a major victory for educators, acknowledging the importance of access to preventative healthcare, mental health support, family care, and time to grieve after losing a loved one.

More on these changes to the laws below. If you are a NJ teacher, are hurt on the job, and require legal help to claim your workers comp benefits, Brandon J. Broderick, Attorney At Law is here for you. Our NJ workers comp lawyers are experienced and are available to assist you.

Previous Sick Day Policy

Before this new law, New Jersey schools were required to offer 10 personal sick days to teachers and full-time employees, intended strictly for personal illness or injury. While some districts negotiated additional personal days for specific needs, such as family care, most had not. The new law standardizes expanded sick day provisions across the state.

Expanded Sick Day Provisions

The new law, now in effect, provides teachers and full-time school staff greater flexibility in using their 10 state-mandated sick days for various reasons beyond personal illness. These expanded reasons include:

• Diagnosis, treatment, or recovery from a physical or mental illness
• Preventative medical care
• Caring for a sick family member
• Issues related to domestic or sexual violence
• Grieving the death of an immediate family member (up to seven days)
• Attending school meetings, conferences, and other events for their child
• Dealing with the closure of their child’s school or childcare facility

It is important to distinguish that while teachers can now use sick days for injury recovery, these are not the same as "Workers’ Compensation" days, particularly for work-related injuries.

Workers' Compensation vs. Sick Days

When a teacher is injured on the job, the classification of their time off differs from personal medical leave. A Workers’ Compensation judge cannot mandate a school district to reclassify days spent out of work. The judge can only determine that an injured teacher is entitled to temporary disability, medical treatment, and compensation for permanent injury. Other legal avenues might be available for teachers whose sick days are misclassified, but these would be pursued in different legal settings.

Brandon J. Broderick, Attorney at Law, Supports New Jersey Teachers

At Brandon J. Broderick, Attorney at Law, we have extensive experience representing school employees, teachers, and other workers in personal injury and workers’ compensation cases. We recognize the invaluable role that teachers and school employees play in supporting our communities. We strongly support expanded access to sick days for teachers and are committed to assisting educators and school staff with any injury-related legal issues they may encounter.

If you are a teacher or school employee needing legal assistance related to workers' compensation or personal injury, contact Brandon J. Broderick, Attorney at Law, for expert guidance and support. Call us today to schedule a consultation and learn how we can help you navigate your legal challenges.