From: NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development Working Papers for Minors Goes Digital on June 1, 2023

The Working Papers Application Is Online at MyWorkingPapers.nj.gov

Schools No Longer Administer Working Papers Applications

All New Jersey minors are required to have working papers as a condition of employment.

A new law — A4222 — effective June 1, 2023 significantly changes how minors get working papers and switches oversight and administration to the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL). The new process is online and streamlined, and can be accessed at MyWorkingPapers.nj.gov. That URL — MyWorkingPapers.nj.gov — is all the information minors and employers need to drive the working papers application forward.

Here’s how it works:

1. Minors and their employers each go to MyWorkingPapers.nj.gov to start.

2. The employer is emailed a unique 8-digit code they share with every minor they hire.

3. The minor fills out their working papers application online, entering the employer’s unique 8-digit code. The minor adds their caregiver’s name and email address.

4. The employer is emailed when a minor applies for working papers using unique 8-digit code assigned to their business. The employer clicks the link in the email to add job duties and hours and give their OK.

5. The caregiver is emailed that a working papers application has been started by a minor in their care. The caregiver clicks the link in the email to give their OK and provide the minor’s proof of age.

6. The minor and their employer each receive an email when the caregiver takes action on the working papers application.

7. The minor can begin working — unless they receive an email rejecting their application. (Notification of approval/rejection can be expected within 24 hours of the caregiver taking action.)

Guiding Minors Toward a Career Path, Educating Young Workers About their Work Rights

The new process gives NJDOL the opportunity to reach minors and their caregivers about career services, apprenticeship opportunities and their work rights at the time it matters most — the beginning of their work lives.

NJDOL has developed a suite of online information and services for young workers. It contains information about how to write a resume, develop interviewing skills, and find a job. The site also contains a section on vocational rehabilitation employment and the protections and rights minors are entitled to under child labor laws. Upcoming job fairs are also covered.