New Jersey Maternity Leave Calculator
How much leave do you actually get? See your TDI, FLI, and FMLA combined for 2026.
A New Jersey birthing parent can stack up to 22 weeks of paid leave by combining Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) with Family Leave Insurance (FLI). Both programs replace 85% of your average weekly wage, capped at $1,119 per week in 2026 — one of the highest replacement rates in any U.S. state. NJFLA provides job protection at employers with 15+ employees worldwide — a threshold that dropped from 30 on July 17, 2026 under A3451, and far below the federal FMLA threshold of 50.
About you · step 1
so far: NJ
What state do you work in?
Are you covered?
- Earned $310+/week for 20+ weeks in your NJ base year, OR earned $15,500+ total
- TDI and FLI coverage is automatic for most NJ W-2 employees
- NJFLA (state job protection): 15+ employee employer (worldwide) + 3 months tenure + 250 hours
- FMLA job protection: 50+ employee employer + 12 months tenure + 1,250 hours
What a typical New Jersey birthing parent gets
For an employee earning $75,000 per year, vaginal delivery, working 12+ months at a 50+ employee company:
22 weeks total · 22 paid · 0 unpaid · $24,618 wage replacement
- Pre-birth disability $4,476
- Recovery (vaginal) $6,714
- Bonding leave $13,428
New Jersey's programs
- TDI
- NJ base-year earnings thresholds met; medical recovery before and after birth
- FLI
- Same TDI thresholds; 12 weeks bonding leave at 85% wage replacement
- NJFLA
- 15+ employee employer (worldwide) + 3 months tenure + 250 hours; 12 weeks state job protection per 24 months
- FMLA
- 50+ employee employer + 12 months tenure + 1,250 hours; 12 weeks federal job protection
New Jersey runs two state-mandated wage replacement programs for birthing parents and partners.
Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) covers the medical recovery portion: typically 4 weeks of pre-birth disability when certified by your provider, plus 6 weeks of post-birth recovery for a vaginal delivery (8 weeks for a C-section). TDI replaces 85% of your average weekly wage, capped at $1,119 per week in 2026 (which represents 70% of the statewide average weekly wage of $1,598.66).
Family Leave Insurance (FLI) picks up after the medical recovery period for bonding leave — 12 weeks at the same 85% rate and cap, available to birthing parents, non-birthing parents, adopting parents, and fostering parents. FLI can also be taken intermittently up to 8 weeks (56 days) within the first year.
The combination yields about 22 weeks of paid leave for a typical birthing parent — roughly 10 weeks of TDI plus 12 weeks of FLI, sequenced back-to-back.
Eligibility and how to apply
TDI/FLI eligibility. You must have earned at least $310 per week for 20 base weeks during the base year, OR earned $15,500 total in the base year. These thresholds increased from 2025 figures.
How to apply. TDI is filed at myleavebenefits.nj.gov/labor/myleavebenefits/worker/tdi/ — your provider must complete a medical certification. FLI is a separate claim at the same domain (path /fli/), filed after your medical recovery ends.
The TDI waiting week — and why your timeline doesn't show one. New Jersey has a 7-day waiting week at the start of a TDI claim: benefits normally begin on the eighth day. But unlike California or New York, New Jersey pays that week back — you receive benefits for it as long as your disability continues for three or more consecutive weeks. A typical pregnancy claim runs 10 to 14 weeks, so it clears that threshold comfortably and the waiting week is paid. That's why the timeline above shows no unpaid week: you'll be paid for it, just not immediately. Expect the first payment to be delayed by roughly a week while the claim is processed. (FLI bonding leave has no waiting period at all.)
Job protection. TDI and FLI provide wage replacement but not job protection on their own. Job protection comes from federal FMLA (12 weeks at 50+ employee employers with 12+ months tenure and 1,250+ hours worked) and the New Jersey Family Leave Act (NJFLA), which provides 12 weeks of unpaid job-protected leave over a 24-month period.
NJFLA's coverage is now broad. Since July 17, 2026 (Assembly Bill 3451, signed Jan 16, 2026) you qualify at any employer with 15 or more employees worldwide once you have 3 months of tenure and 250 hours worked in the past 12 months. Those thresholds used to be 30 employees, 12 months, and 1,000 hours — so a large group of workers who didn't qualify a year ago do now. NJFLA can run sequentially after FMLA in some cases, effectively extending job protection. (If your leave began before July 17, 2026, the old thresholds governed it.)
State-specific things worth knowing
NJ's combined TDI + FLI of approximately 22 paid weeks is among the longest paid-leave stacks in the country, and the 85% wage replacement rate is one of the highest. FLI is funded entirely through employee payroll deductions; TDI is funded by employee deductions plus a separate employer assessment that varies by experience rating (employee TDI rate decreased to 0.19% in 2026; FLI rate decreased to 0.23%; taxable wage base $171,100).
Three practical points.
NJFLA's 15-employee threshold means far smaller employers must provide job protection than federal FMLA requires. If your company has between 15 and 49 employees worldwide and you've worked there 3+ months, you have job protection at the state level even though FMLA doesn't apply to you.
The bar is low on tenure, too. NJFLA now asks for 3 months of employment and 250 hours worked in the past 12 months — down from 12 months and 1,000 hours before A3451 took effect on July 17, 2026. Part-time workers who were locked out under the old hours test frequently clear the new one.
Employers cannot require you to use accrued PTO before FLI begins, but you can choose to use PTO to top up FLI to 100% of pay if your company permits. Check your employee handbook.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a waiting period before New Jersey TDI starts paying?
Yes and no — and this is where New Jersey differs from California and New York. NJ has a seven-day waiting week at the start of a TDI claim, and benefits normally begin on the eighth day. But New Jersey PAYS THAT WEEK BACK if your disability continues for three or more consecutive weeks. A typical pregnancy claim runs 10 to 14 weeks, so it clears that threshold comfortably and the waiting week is paid. That is why your timeline shows no unpaid week — you will be paid for it, just not immediately. Expect your first payment to be delayed by roughly a week while the claim is processed. FLI bonding leave has no waiting period at all.
Does my employer have to pay me during New Jersey maternity leave?
New Jersey requires Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) and Family Leave Insurance (FLI), funded through employee payroll deductions. TDI covers medical recovery at 85% of weekly wages, capped at $1,119/week for 2026. FLI covers 12 weeks of bonding at the same 85% rate and cap. Combined, that's about 22 paid weeks for a typical birthing parent — among the highest paid-leave totals in the United States.
Can I stack NJ TDI and FLI?
Yes — sequentially. TDI typically covers 4 weeks of pre-birth disability when certified by your provider, plus 6 weeks recovery for vaginal delivery (8 weeks for C-section). Then FLI provides 12 weeks of bonding. Combined: about 22 paid weeks for birthing parents. The 85% replacement rate is one of the highest in the US.
What if I'm not eligible for FMLA — can I still take TDI and FLI?
Yes. TDI and FLI eligibility is based on earnings — you need at least $310/week for 20 base weeks, or $15,500 total in your base year. There's no employer-size or tenure requirement. The New Jersey Family Leave Act (NJFLA) provides 12 weeks of job-protected leave at employers with 15+ employees worldwide if you've worked there 3+ months and logged 250+ hours in the past 12 months — a far lower threshold than federal FMLA's 50+ employees. A3451 dropped those thresholds (from 30 employees, 12 months, and 1,000 hours) effective July 17, 2026.
Does my job have to hold my position during NJ leave?
Job protection comes from either federal FMLA (12+ months tenure, 1,250+ hours, 50+ employee employer) or NJFLA. NJFLA is the easier of the two to qualify for: 3+ months tenure, 250+ hours worked in the past 12 months, and an employer with 15+ employees worldwide. Those thresholds were 12 months, 1,000 hours, and 30 employees until A3451 took effect on July 17, 2026. TDI and FLI alone are pay programs and don't include job protection.
What is the NJFLA, and how is it different from FMLA?
The New Jersey Family Leave Act is the state's job-protection law for family/bonding leave. Compared to federal FMLA: NJFLA's employer-size threshold is 15+ employees worldwide (vs federal FMLA's 50+), and it asks for 3 months of tenure rather than 12 — thresholds that dropped from 30 employees and 12 months when A3451 took effect on July 17, 2026. NJFLA only protects bonding/family leave; pregnancy disability protection comes separately under federal/state pregnancy laws. NJFLA can run sequentially after FMLA in some cases, effectively extending job protection beyond the federal 12-week limit. The state's Division on Civil Rights enforces it.
What happens to my health insurance during NJ maternity leave?
Under federal FMLA and NJFLA, your employer must continue your health insurance on the same terms as if you were working. You continue paying your employee share. If you're not protected by either (e.g., very small employer or short tenure), your employer can require you to pay the full premium during leave or may discontinue coverage. Check your handbook.
Can I take TDI before my baby is born?
Yes — typically 4 weeks of pre-birth TDI when your provider certifies you can't work. This is in addition to the 6-8 weeks of recovery TDI after birth. So a typical birthing parent in NJ uses about 10 weeks of TDI total, then transitions to 12 weeks of FLI bonding leave.