School Employees' Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re a school employee, the way you take paid leave may be different. Here’s what you need to know.
Am I Covered?
Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) benefits
It is optional for local governments, including school districts, to participate in the program. Some do, but many do not.
This means you may not be covered for state benefits when you need time off for your own health condition, including pregnancy and childbirth recovery.
If you need disability leave, talk to your employer to see if they offer disability coverage, and if so, whether they participate in the State plan or provide benefits through a private plan.
Some employees will also choose to purchase private disability insurance for themselves.
Family Leave Insurance (FLI) benefits
Local governments, including school districts, must participate in the or provide the same benefits through an approved private plan.
You can use Family Leave benefits to care for a loved one, bond with a new child, or cope with domestic and sexual violence.
You can take family leave benefits in two ways:
- Continuous leave, or all in a row, for up to 12 weeks
- Intermittent leave, or in parts, for up to 56 days (learn how these days are counted)
If you need these benefits, talk to your employer and apply .
Note—if your leave overlaps with summer break, we have important guidance below.
If your school district does not participate in the state Temporary Disability plan, you may not be eligible for state benefits for part of your leave.
Sometimes, employees will use their accrued sick time for their pregnancy and childbirth recovery. Some employees choose to purchase private disability insurance for themselves, which they can use during pregnancy.
Once your child is born, you can receive state Family Leave benefits to bond.
Whether or not you’re eligible for cash benefits, your job could be protected under state and federal law.
If you don’t normally work during school breaks, you will not be paid benefits during that time. The days that your benefits are paused during a school break won't count against your total days of family leave.
If you are taking family leave all at once, and it overlaps with a school break, that is still considered continuous leave. Your leave is only intermittent if you return to work before you use up your 12 weeks.
The online application asks about school breaks. If you have multiple school breaks, list the first one and NJDOL will follow up with you for more information, if needed. If you don’t normally work over school breaks, your benefits will pause and you will stop getting payments until school is back in session.
Important: If your leave overlaps with summer break, contact NJDOL when school starts again to let us know you are continuing your leave, so benefits can start again.
If your employer is a private company that contracts with the school district, your employer is required to participate in both Temporary Disability and Family Leave Insurance or provide the same benefits through a private plan.
For example, if you are a bus driver working for a separate company that the school hires, you are not a school district employee. Your employer, the bus company, must participate in both TDI and FLI programs.
Your job could also be protected under state and federal law.
If your employer is a private school, not a school district, your employer is required to participate in both Temporary Disability and Family Leave Insurance or provide the same benefits through a private plan.
Temporary Disability benefits is only optional for local government entities, like public school districts.
Your job could also be protected under state and federal law.
No. Partners working for the same employer do not share their bonding time. They can each get up to 12 weeks of benefits.