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New Jersey Temporary Disability Benefits (TDB) and Family Leave Insurance (FLI)

The New Jersey Temporary Disability Benefits (TDB) law allows for NJ covered workers to take paid time off for their own non-occupational related injury or illness (under TDB) or to care for a family member with a serious health condition or bond with a new child (under FLI).

Family of four enjoying at home.

What is Guardian doing?

Guardian has a private plan option for temporary disability coverage to assist covered employers in meeting their regulatory obligation for their New Jersey covered employees. We don't offer Family Leave Insurance (FLI) coverage at this time.

Our product offering is fully insured, state-approved, and competitively priced. Our digital capabilities can make administration easier – with online claims submission and claims status as well as quarterly and year-end tax reports.

You can count on:

  • Assistance with adjusting short-term disability (STD) and long-term disability (LTD) plan designs to integrate with a state-mandated paid leave plan.

  • A single point-of-contact for disability claims inquiries.

  • Experienced claims management by tenured professionals.

  • Updates on new regulations and ongoing guidance to keep you compliant.

Please contact your Guardian Group sales consultant or broker for quoting requirements and additional information concerning a NJ TDB private plan option through Guardian.

Why Guardian?

Guardian has provided employers with statutory disability plans for more than a decade, taking a consultative approach to bring resources together for successful PFML plan implementation and management, no matter the level of complexity. Our management of PFML plans helps ensure that any human resources team can meet the challenge of efficiently managing employee leaves while easing administrative responsibilities and enhancing compliance.  

Our Guardian Absence SolutionsSM can help reduce the administrative burden and enhance compliance with the integrated management of STD and LTD benefits, state and federal family medical leaves, and company leaves. Available to companies with 50 or more employees, employers can choose from a variety of plans and service options, including ADA support.  Effective employee leave management is key to ensuring your business remains compliant with state laws, helping to avoid costly fines. 

To learn more about Guardian leave management services reach out to your Guardian Group sales consultant or broker.

All terms of coverage, including benefits, eligibility, coverage limitations and exclusions under Guardian’s New Jersey Temporary Disability benefits (TDB) plan will comply with NJ TDB  law and regulations. Any optional riders and/or features which may be available may incur additional costs.  Plan documents are the final arbiter of coverage.  Guardian policy number TDB GP-1-TDB-01.

Links to external sites are provided for your convenience in locating related information and services. Guardian, its subsidiaries, agents, and employees expressly disclaim any responsibility for an do not maintain, control, recommend, or endorse third-party sites, organizations, products, or services and make no representation as to the completeness, suitability, or quality thereof. Guardian, its subsidiaries, agents, and employees do not provide tax, legal, or accounting advice. Consult your tax, legal, or accounting professional regarding your individual situation.

Guardian's Group Long Term and Short Term Disability Insurance is underwritten and issued by The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, New York, NY. Products are not available in all states.

Guardian Absence Solutions℠ is a service mark of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America.

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Most New Jersey employers subject to the provisions of the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) are also subject to NJ TDB law and are required to provide coverages for their employees working in NJ. There are some employment classes considered exempt from Unemployment Compensation Coverage and likewise are exempt from the coverage requirements under NJ TDB law. Please refer to the NJ DOL Employer Handbook on the state website for more details on Exempt Employment. 

To be eligible for TDB or FLI, a worker must have paid into the program through their employer and meet the minimum gross earnings requirements.

In 2025, a worker must have worked 20 weeks earning at least $303 weekly, or have earned a combined total of $15,200 in what is called a “base year”. 

The base year is defined as the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters prior to the start of a claim. The wages earned during the base year will determine the weekly benefits that a worker is eligible to receive. For example: If an employee filed a claim on January 1, 2025, their base year is October 1, 2023-September 30, 2024.

For quick reference, use the chart below to help you understand the base year period that will be used to calculate the weekly benefit based on when the claim began:

Claim began:

Base Year - Earnings from this period will be used to determine benefit 

January 2025
February 2025
March 2025

October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024

April 2025
May 2025
June 2025

January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024

July 2025
August 2025
September 2025

April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025

October 2025
November 2025
December 2025

July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025

NJ Temporary Disability Benefits (TDB) provides partial wage replacement to eligible employees who suffer from their own non-work-related injury, illness, or other disability, including pregnancy. TDB benefits are available to most New Jersey workers with the exception of federal government employees, out of state employees, and select exempt employment classes. 

Benefit provisions for 2025: 

  • Weekly benefit -

    • 85% of employee’s average weekly wage up to a maximum of $1,081 per week.

  • Benefit duration - The lesser of 26 weeks times the weekly benefit or one-third of the total wages paid to the claimant during the base year.

  • Waiting period - None for organ or bone marrow donation, benefits begin on first day of leave. Seven calendar days for accident or illness, benefits begin on the eighth day. However, if disability extends beyond three consecutive weeks, the employee is paid for those initial seven days.

  • Maximum employee contribution rate - 0.23% of the employee’s covered wages during the calendar year, up to the annual maximum of $380.42.

  • Taxable wage base maximum for employee contributions - $165,400

  • Taxable wage base maximum for employer contributions - $43,300

FLI provides eligible workers with paid time off to bond with a newborn, a newly adopted child, a recently placed foster child, or to care for a family member with a serious health condition who is unable to care for themselves. Workers can collect FLI benefits for a maximum of 12 weeks (56 days) in a 12-month period. The same covered employer and employee eligibility requirements for NJ TDB benefits apply to NJ FLI benefits.

Benefit provisions for 2025:

  • Weekly benefit -

    • 85% of employee’s average weekly wage up to a maximum of $1,081 per week.

  • Benefit duration – 

    • 12 weeks or 56 days for intermittent leaves

  • Waiting period - No waiting period

  • Maximum employee contribution rate - 0.33% of the employee’s covered wages during the calendar year, up to the annual maximum of $545.82.

  • Taxable wage base maximum for employee contributions - $165,400

  • Taxable wage base maximum for employer contributions - $43,300

Under NJ TDB law, covered employers have the option to choose how to provide both the NJ TDB and NJ FLI state-mandated coverages to their employees. An employer can choose to provide one or both coverages through the state administered plan, or can choose to provide the coverage(s) through a private plan instead.

The private plan may be self-insured (meaning the plan is funded by the employer itself), or fully insured (meaning the plan is provided through a licensed and approved insurance company or through a union welfare fund). All private plans must be approved by the NJ State Division of Temporary Disability Insurance, Private Plan Operations. Private plans must offer at least the same benefit provisions as the state plan. Benefit provisions are dictated by the state and are subject to change annually. 

Guardian is currently licensed and approved to provide a fully insured Temporary Disability Benefits (TDB) coverage in New Jersey. We do not offer Family Leave Insurance (FLI) coverage at this time.

For more details, visit the state of New Jersey’s Division of Temporary Disability and Family Leave Insurance website.

  • NJTDB Benefit Provisions - 2025 (coming soon)

  • NJTDB Program 2025 vs 2024 Benefit Provisions Comparison (coming soon)

  • NJ DOL - Temporary Disability and Family Leave Insurance

  • NJ DOL COVID-19 Resources for NJ Workers

  • NJ Temporary Disability Benefits Website

 

  • Educate yourself and your administrative teams on the laws concerning paid family leave and temporary disability benefit changes and employer requirements.

  • Consult with your payroll department and/or payroll vendor to confirm it's prepared to update the payroll system to properly administer the appropriate payroll deductions for both TDB and FLI as dictated by the state for each calendar year. As the employer, you're responsible to ensure the correct employee deductions are applied, per the state guidance.   

  • Update your current company leave policies/employee handbooks to reflect the updated NJ state mandated benefit provisions.

  • Advise your employees of the updated benefit provisions and inform them of their updated payroll deduction rate for these benefits.