Office of InnovationJob Protection Checker
The Job Protection Coverage Checker is a self-service tool to help employees understand their rights under federal and state leave laws (FMLA and NJFLA). This project was a collaboration with the Office of the Attorney General’s Division on Civil Rights (DCR) and the New Jersey Department of Labor (DOL).
Challenge
New Jersey workers who are looking to take leave previously found it complicated to understand documentation surrounding eligibility and entitlements of both Federal and State Job protection leave laws. Disjointed and inconsistent information regarding job protection laws existed online, lacking clear markers on ownership and enforcement agencies at the federal and state levels.
Innovation In Action
To ensure that leave takers were appropriately informed about their rights and able to advocate for themselves, OOI built the Job Protection Coverage Checker, which allows people to determine their job protection eligibility and entitlements by their specific reasons for leave. The tool also addresses common questions about job protections, provides guidance around leave planning, and outlines resources and pathways to seek additional help, if needed.
This tool was designed and built in collaboration with the Department of Labor and the Division on Civil Rights, specifically focusing on communicating and simplifying complex legal language in a systematic, accessible, and easy-to-follow format. Across multiple iterations the team tested, validated, and reviewed the tool with residents and stakeholders to ensure the right level of information and visual presentation to meet resident needs.
Impact + Metrics
- As of March 2025, over 350 users used the tool nearly 500 times.
Status
- The first version of the Job Protection Coverage Checker was made widely available in March 2025.
- In April 2025, an update to the tool was released that featured content improvements and a Spanish version.
- The tool will continue to go through iterative improvements based on user feedback and analytics.
Resources and Additional Information
Key Partners
- New Jersey Department of Labor
- New Jersey Division on Civil Rights
Last updated on 4/2/25
