Paid Sick Leave Spreads in Jersey

Paid sick leave hasn’t quite come to Philadelphia yet — though Mayor Nutter’s task force looking at the issue did meet this week — but across the Delaware River, the push is on.

Newsworks reports that activists, worried Gov. Christie wouldn’t sign such bill, have bypassed the state and are focusing on cities:

Newark’s mandatory paid sick policy took effect in July, with full- and part-time workers earning an hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours they work. For businesses with fewer than 10 employees, sick days would be capped at three annually; for businesses with more than 10 workers, the limit would be five days.

This week, advocates submitted petitions with more than 2,000 signatures in support of a similar policy to officials in Trenton. That could lead to a city council vote or a citywide vote on the November ballot.

Similar efforts are under way in Paterson, Montclair, Irvington, Passaic and East Orange.