Like its neighbor, New York, the State of New Jersey has also responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by providing state-level benefits to help during these unprecedented times. And, like NY, New Jersey is doing this by modifying its existing statutory insurance - Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI), and Family Leave Insurance (FLI). But, unlike New York (which created new, temporary emergency COVID-19 benefits), New Jersey took a different approach.
Governor Phil Murphy has signed two bills (S2374 and S2304) to provide job protection and paid leave for employees who cannot work due to COVID-19. Effective March 25, 2020, eligible employees in New Jersey may be able to receive Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) benefits if they are sick with, or may have been exposed to COVID-19. The 7-day waiting period has been waived. Additionally, they may use Family Leave Insurance (FLI) benefits to care for a family member with COVID-19 (or who may have been exposed). FLI does not have a waiting period for its benefits. These temporary benefits are set to expire at the end of this year.
There is no separate, special benefit amount for these two statutory insurance coverages related to COVID-19 like there is for New York’s counterparts, DBL/PFL. The Temporary Disability Insurance benefit amount an eligible employee receives under these COVID-19 related circumstances generally follows the regular TDI benefit calculation (learn more about the 2020 benefits here). New Jersey benefits are still set to increase significantly effective July 1 (see what’s changing here). Or read more about NJ’s Earned Sick Leave on the State’s website here.
There are many pieces to the benefits puzzle in New Jersey. Many benefits that have been updated with the passing of these new bills, including Earned Sick Leave, Temporary Disability Insurance, Family Leave Insurance, Unemployment Benefits, and the new Federal “Families First Coronavirus Response Act”, each with their own their own set of eligibility requirements and interdependencies. The NJ Department of Labor & Workforce Development has put together a great summary of all the COVID-19 benefit options available to NJ employees here:
Worker Benefits, Protections and the Coronavirus (COVID-19): What NJ Workers Should Know
To help you navigate the many resources available online, we’ve handpicked these additional helpful links addressing frequently asked questions on this new legislation:
We remain committed to our clients and here for you during these unprecedented times (learn more about our preparedness here). Learn about how we are providing greater flexibility in paying premiums for our New Jersey dental and life insurance policyholders who are facing financial hardship due to COVID-19 with our emergency grace periods.
In light of the many questions and quickly changing information during this pandemic, we have created a COVID-19 Resource Center. Please visit often for updates, an overview of the Federal “Families First Coronavirus Response Act” or learn how New York State is addressing state-level benefits in light of the pandemic.
The information in this post is not intended as an offer of coverage (“Invitation to Contract”). It is for illustrative purposes only, providing a general overview of the services descred. It is not a contract. Available in NJ only. ShelterPoint Life provides Temporary Disability Insurance private plans and does not provide Family Leave Insurance private plans. The Temporary Disability Benefits (TDB) Law (Temporary Disability Benefits law (P.L.1948, c.110 (C:43-21-25 et seq.) governs this private plan and its interpretation and administration. All coverage extends up to TDB Law limits reflected in this policy. Please refer to the policy and TDB law for coverage details, a complete listing of covered services, provisions, conditions, exclusions, and terms under which the policy may be continued or cancelled. In the event of conflicting information with the policy and applicable TDB Law, the policy and TDB Law will take precedence over what is shown in this material. Claim payment is not guaranteed; benefit amount depends on wages. Policies have a statutory 7-day waiting period.
Underwritten by:
ShelterPoint Life Insurance Company (principal office in Garden City, NY) in: NJ (form# TDB-P-NJ)