Hackensack Meridian Health provides team members with Earned Sick Leave (ESL) benefits for a variety of reasons, outlined below. Team members are eligible for ESL if they are full-time, part-time or temporary status. Per diem team members who are not licensed health care professionals are also eligible. Please see our Earned Sick Leave policy on PolicyStat for full eligibility, accrual and utilization details.
Reasons for taking time off under ESL:
NJ state law protects team members’ ability to take time off under certain circumstances, without penalty. It does not, however, necessarily require the employer to designate that time as “ESL time.” The employer is not required to provide additional time designated for earned sick leave if PTO days may be used for earned sick leave and the employer’s PTO policy meets all requirements of the law. Because HMH’s PTO policy is more generous than what is required by law (and allows team members to accrue greater than the minimum number of hours that the law requires), it is HMH’s policy, under certain circumstances, for team members to draw from their PTO balance, if available, before drawing from their ESL bank.
- Diagnosis, care, treatment of, or recovery from a mental or physical illness, injury or other adverse health condition, or for preventive medical care – personal or family member
- Medical, legal or counseling services needed as a result of domestic or sexual violence – personal or family member
- Closure of workplace or school/daycare by order of a public official or issuance by a public health authority
- Attending a school-related conference, meeting, function or other event requested or required by a school administrator, teacher, or other professional staff member responsible for your child’s education
- Attending a meeting regarding care in connection with your child’s health condition or disability
There are various reasons for which a team member may be eligible to take ESL. However, depending on the reason, the process to request ESL – and how a team member will be paid – may vary. Please review the four ESL Groups below to find the process that matches your reason.
Quick links
- ESL Group I: School Closures, Meetings, Illness (3 Days or Less)
- ESL Group II: Personal/Family Member Disability/Illness (4 Days or More), Intermittent Absences for Treatment
- ESL Group III: (1-3 Days Absence Only) Inpatient Hospital Stays, Same-Day Surgeries, Procedures Under Conscious Sedation (“Day 1” ESL Exceptions)
- ESL Group IV: Workers’ Compensation
- I am returning to work from a workers’ compensation leave of absence. What do I need to do?