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.