As teens graduate high school this year and head into summer vacation across New Jersey, many will have an easier time obtaining work papers — the documents needed before they can get a job — thanks to an online system rolled out last year .
That system, which officially started last year, replaced the previous process, which required school districts to issue work papers to teens under 18 when they wanted a job.
Now, teens can register one-time directly with the Department of Labor through a new online system called MyWorkingPapers.nj.gov, the government agency announced in a reminder last week.
Essentially, the law takes away the authority of schools to issue work documents and gives this authority to the Ministry of Labor, which will set up a centralized database to register employers and minors.
“The changes made to our state’s working papers process play an integral role in our mission to advocate for the protection and economic advancement of all Garden State workers – including the hardworking and capable younger members of our workforce,” New Jersey Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo said in a statement last week.
How to register for work papers
When registering on the website, employers receive an eight-digit code, which they share with the minor they employ. The state labor department noted that the teen would have to receive a job offer before starting the paperwork.
The minor will have to use the code to complete his part of the application.
Emails will ask the employer and caregiver to complete their portion of the application, including uploading the minor’s birth certificate, passport, or other official document to verify the minor’s age. Once the application is approved or rejected, an email will be sent by the agency.
Anyone who still needs physical workpapers can download them from the agency’s website.
“The NJ Minor Working Papers Program works effectively because it enables employers to fill jobs, properly staff operations and serve their customers, while fostering a youthful workforce with the skills and opportunities to succeed,” said Linda Doherty, president and CEO of the New York Times. Jersey Food Council, a supermarket trade group.
Company Weeds and Work: NJ has yet to launch a major tool that will cause problems for employers
A controversial law on work papers for teenagers
The working papers are part of a much larger law that Gov. Phil Murphy signed in 2022 amid a labor shortage that will allow teens to work longer hours — up to 50 hours — during the summer holidays.
That measure was praised by business groups but criticized by parent advocates and labor experts.
Carmen Martino, a labor professor at Rutgers University, previously said that teenagers should not be forced to work long hours without being aware of their rights in the workplace.
However, teens applying for jobs this summer under the new law are unlikely to be aware of their rights and state lawmakers have failed to enshrine that requirement in law, he said.
“The assumption here is that a 16- to 18-year-old knows what the Fair Labor Standards Act covers and that he or she should get overtime after 40 hours,” Martino said. “It’s in the law and that’s what employers have to do.” should do. But we make a lot of assumptions here.”
Martino said many employers have good intentions, but many others in low-wage industries are deliberately circumventing the law, harming unsuspecting teenagers.
Mary Ann Koruth contributed to this article.
Daniel Munoz covers business, consumer affairs, labor and the economy for NorthJersey.com and The Record.
E-mail: munozd@northjersey.com; Twitter:@danielmunoz100 and Facebook
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: How to Get Your NJ Work Papers Online and Get a Summer Job
