The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) reminded employers on Thursday that a new online application portal for teenagers who need working papers launches on June 1.
Minors who need working papers to start a job – and any employer who hires a worker under the age of 18 in New Jersey – must visit the site and register. Users will follow the prompts to complete the working papers application online instead of processing paper forms through local school districts once the change takes effect.
The online application available will be available at MyWorkingPapers.nj.gov. NJDOL will email the minor and the employer afterward to let them know whether the application has been approved or rejected.
NJDOL Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo and Deputy Assistant Commissioner Nicholas Toth will discuss all the upcoming changes to the working paper application process on May 24 during an NJBIA online event for employers, “What You Should Know About the New Teen Working Papers Process & the 2023 NJ Tourism Season.”
The NJBIA event will also include a discussion on other employer-related concerns as the summer tourism season approaches, including youth worker employment, the J-1 visa program for international students, housing challenges and the Boardwalk Grant Program.
The digitization of the teen working paper process, authorized by an NJBIA-led effort to modernize labor laws, is authorized under a law the governor signed last year.
“This is a significant update in how minors acquire their working papers, which they need for employment in New Jersey,” Asaro-Angelo said Thursday. “It’s quicker, easier, and this new process gives NJDOL a welcome opportunity to reach minors and their caregivers about career and apprenticeship opportunities, and to make minors aware of their work rights when it matters most – when they start their first job.”
Here’s how the new application works:
- Teenagers and their employers each go to nj.gov to get started.
- Employers receive a unique 8-digit code when they register, which they share with every minor they hire.
- The minor completes the online working papers application, entering their caregiver’s name and email address, and the employer’s 8-digit code, which links the application to a specific employer.
- Emails prompt the employer and caregiver to complete their portions of the application and sign off. Caregivers also will be asked to upload a copy of a birth certificate, passport or other official document verifying the minor’s age.
- The minor begins working when their application is approved.
NJDOL has developed a suite of online information and services specifically for young workers. It contains information on resume writing and interviewing skills, child labor laws, and more. Information on wages, hours, and types of work permitted for minors can be found on NJDOL’s website here.
Anyone who needs working papers before June 1 should visit NJDOL’s young worker hub to get the paper form.
