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N.J.A.C. 4A:6-1.4 Sick leave procedures: State service

N.J.A.C. 4A:6-1.4, Sick leave procedures: State service. The provisions in this section are applicable to State service. (b) An employee whose work schedule is other than a 24-hour or shift coverage shall, by the Full text with 3 recorded amendments, 5 citing decisions, cited by 1 other rule.

Leaves, Hours of Work, and Employee Development · Leaves of Absence

Current through New Jersey Register, Vol. 58 No. 14, July 20, 2026. Reviewed as of July 26, 2026.

This is an annotated mirror, not the official publication. Verify against the Civil Service Commission before relying on it.

In plain language

Two clocks govern calling in sick in State service, and which one is yours depends on the unit. If your work schedule is not 24-hour or shift coverage, you notify the contact person designated by the agency by your scheduled reporting time. If your unit requires 24-hour or shift coverage, you notify them at least one hour before the scheduled starting time, with exceptions available from that contact person for sudden illness or emergency. Proof of illness can be required in three situations: a reason to believe sick leave is being abused, an absence of five or more consecutive work days, or an aggregate of more than 15 days in a 12-month period. A chronic or recurring illness causing occasional absences of one day or less needs one proof every six months, specifying the nature of the illness. The appointing authority may also require an examination by a physician it designates and pays for. Failing to follow the notification and verification steps can mean denial of leave for that absence, treatment as abuse of sick leave, or cause for disciplinary action, and the section permits all three.

Written by the NJ Civil Service Navigator editorial team from the text of N.J.A.C. 4A:6-1.4. It is a description of the rule, not the rule itself, and not legal advice.

(a) The provisions in this section are applicable to State service. #

(b) An employee whose work schedule is other than a 24-hour or shift coverage shall, by the scheduled reporting time, notify a contact person designated by the agency of any absence due to illness. #

(c) An employee whose work unit requires 24-hour or shift coverage shall, at least one hour before the scheduled starting time, notify the designated contact person of any absence due to illness. In case of sudden illness or emergency, exceptions may be granted by the designated contact person. #

(d) An appointing authority may require proof of illness or injury when there is a reason to believe that an employee is abusing sick leave; an employee has been absent on sick leave for five or more consecutive work days; or an employee has been absent on sick leave for an aggregate of more than 15 days in a 12-month period. #

(e) When an illness is of a chronic or recurring nature causing occasional absences of one day or less, one proof of illness shall be required for every six month period. The proof of illness must specify the nature of the illness and that it is likely to cause periodic absences from employment. #

(f) In case of sick leave due to exposure to a contagious disease, a death in the employee's immediate family or to care for a seriously ill member of the employee's immediate family, reasonable proof may be required. #

(g) An appointing authority may require an employee to be examined by a physician designated and compensated by the appointing authority as a condition of the employee's continuation of sick leave or return to work. #

1. Such an examination shall establish whether the employee is capable of performing his or her work duties and whether return to employment would jeopardize the health of the employee or that of other employees. #

2. The appointing authority shall set the date of the examination to assure that it does not cause undue delay in the employee's return to work. #

(h) Failure to follow sick leave notification and verification procedures may result in a denial of sick leave for that specific absence, be considered an abuse of sick leave and/or constitute cause for disciplinary action. #

(i) An appointing authority shall provide the Civil Service Commission with a record of an employee's unused sick leave when the employee separates from State service. A representative of the Civil Service Commission shall provide an appointing authority with a record of an employee's unused sick leave if an employee is reemployed. Upon reemployment, an employee is entitled to utilize any unused sick leave from the previous period of employment. Such unused leave carried over shall be used before any leave accrued after reemployment. However, such unused leave carried over shall not be counted for purposes of Supplemental Compensation on Retirement. See N.J.A.C. 4A:6-3.2. #

(j) In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq., information obtained pursuant to this section regarding the medical condition or history of an employee shall be collected and maintained on separate forms and in separate medical files and treated as a confidential medical record, except that: #

1. Such information shall be available to appropriate appointing authority representatives in connection with inquiries into the ability of an employee to perform job-related functions; #

2. Supervisors and managers may be informed regarding necessary restrictions on the work or duties of the employee and necessary accommodations; #

3. Authorized first aid and safety personnel may be informed, when appropriate, if the condition might require emergency treatment, or if any specific procedures are needed in the case of fire or other evacuation; and #

4. Government officials investigating compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, or any other Federal or State law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability or handicap, shall be provided relevant information on request. #

Amendment history

Rule numbers, effective dates and New Jersey Register citations as published. 3 recorded changes.

  1. AmendedR.2016 d.171
    48 N.J.R. 5(a); 48 N.J.R. 2775(b)
  2. AmendedR.1993 d.47
    24 N.J.R. 3590(a); 25 N.J.R. 293(a)
  3. date not statedPetition for rulemaking
    32 N.J.R. 1871(a); 32 N.J.R. 2957(a)

How this rule has been applied

5 decisions have cited N.J.A.C. 4A:6-1.4. The list below is citations to those decisions, not the decisions. We have not written summaries for this section. A citation with no summary is deliberate: we do not paraphrase a decision we have not read. Nothing here is legal advice.

Appellate Division (1)
  • , No. A-1291-07T12009 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 1055
Civil Service Commission final determinations (3)
  • In re A.K., Dep't of Human Serv., CSC Docket No. 2025-8322025 N.J. CSC LEXIS 2Docket 2025-832
  • In re Serdiuk, Dep't of Military & Veterans Affairs, CSC DKT. NO. 2013-7392013 N.J. CSC LEXIS 1164Docket CSV 7323-12
  • In re Smith2009 N.J. CSC LEXIS 1550Docket CSV 241-09
Office of Administrative Law initial decisions (1)
  • In re Reid2009 N.J. AGEN LEXIS 897Docket CSV 08828-07

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Rules that point here

Elsewhere in Leaves of Absence