Any minor under the age of 18 years old in New Jersey must have working papers or employment certificates, as they are sometimes called, in order to have a job.
The process of obtaining working papers brings several people into the picture to ensure everyone shares responsibility for the minor's employment.
Barry Hickey, assistant director of the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development's Wage and Hour Compliance Division, said working papers are meant to protect minors, approved by parents and the educational institution, he said.
The papers make sure that teenage workers are not working too many hours during their school time, they are not working too late at night or too early in the morning, they are being paid minimum wage, they are not employed in a hazardous duty, and they are not denied their required 30-minute meal period after working five consecutive hours.
Hickey said working papers were designed to protect the exploitation of minors in the workplace and to prevent minors from engaging in dangerous occupations.
By restricting their hours, the papers ensure that education and schoolwork are a priority, Hickey said.
Hickey said the whole process involves five steps and if done correctly, it can be completed within 24 hours, so long as the teen's medical record is on file with the school.
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