Hundreds of thousands of New Jersey workers will gain expanded job protections when taking family or medical leave under a law taking effect Friday, broadening access to protected leave for employees of small businesses, newer hires and many part-time workers.

The changes, which are the result of a law signed by former Governor Phil Murphy, extend job protections to workers receiving benefits through the state’s Temporary Disability Insurance and Family Leave Insurance programs when their leave is not already covered by the New Jersey Family Leave Act or the federal Family and Medical Leave Act.

State officials said the changes are intended to ensure more workers can take time away from work to recover from a medical condition, bond with a new child or care for a loved one without fear of losing their jobs.

The new law also expands eligibility under the New Jersey Family Leave Act by lowering the employer size threshold from businesses with 30 employees to those with at least 15 employees worldwide. Government employers remain covered regardless of size.

In addition, workers will now qualify for leave protections after three months of employment instead of 12 months. The minimum hours-worked requirement also drops from 1,000 hours to 250 hours during the previous 12 months.

Workers who qualify under the Family Leave Act may continue to take up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave during a 24-month period to care for a family member with a serious health condition or bond with a newborn or newly adopted child. Employers must restore eligible workers to the same or an equivalent position when they return from leave.

The legislation also provides job protection for workers receiving Temporary Disability Insurance or Family Leave Insurance benefits who are not otherwise covered under state or federal leave laws. Unlike the Family Leave Act, eligibility for those benefit programs is based on recent earnings rather than employer size or length of employment.

State officials said the expanded protections are expected to particularly benefit employees of small businesses, newer workers and many part-time employees.

The changes do not alter eligibility for cash benefits under Temporary Disability Insurance or Family Leave Insurance, which remain based on recent earnings. The federal Family and Medical Leave Act is also unchanged.