According to the hit 1976 song by ABBA, “I work all night, I work all day to pay the bills I have to pay.” And while that may not currently be true of New Jersey teenagers, it is certainly more accurate than it was during last summer’s jobs. New legislation has expanded the opportunities for New Jersey teenagers to work beyond their past summer hours.
In a new bill passed by Governor Murphy, child labor laws have been amended in multiple ways, with the two most important being a new registration database for minors to register to work and increased hours.
According to the Campanella Law Office, the creation of this database with the Department of Labor and Workforce Development is for minors to register to work. Due to this, school districts and all other outside parties involved are no longer able to issue working papers. This database will allow minors to register for work via an online database, which will make them known to businesses who are hiring. This database requires minimal guardian or outside approval, a stark contrast to the current registration system, working papers.
Currently, the process of obtaining working papers seems to be lengthy. First, the minor must fill out a section of the form with their own information. The employer must also complete a section, and sign a Promise of Employment. Then, the young employee must get a physical exam or a doctor’s note. The minor must provide a document proving their age, such as a passport or birth certificate. If they have done all that, they must bring the completed form to their school district, where in order for the process to go further, a school official must decide the job will not interfere with the student’s school life.Finally, an Issuing Officer must decide whether working conditions comply with New Jersey child labor laws. The officer can refuse to issue working papers if the employment does not seem to be in the minor’s best interest. If everything goes through smoothly, the minor then has working papers and may join the workforce.
Along with other working minors living in New Jersey, many students at Communications High School have gone through this process.
Sophomore Molly McCarthy of Manasquan works two jobs: one at a thrift shop, and another at a summer camp. Regarding working papers, she said, “It was easy to get them, but filling them out was just kind of a pain.”
Additionally, child labor laws regarding how long minors can work are changing for teenagers under 16 years old. Summer hours are now to mirror the Child Labor Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The Child Labor Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act states that children of any age are generally allowed to work for businesses owned by their parents, except those under age 16 may not be employed in mining or manufacturing. In addition, no one under 18 may be employed in any occupation that the Secretary of Labor has declared to be hazardous. Regarding hours for those under 16, they may work 40 hours per week.
The act has also increased summer hours for 16-18 year olds from 40 to 50 hours per week, and has allowed for minors to work six hours before a break rather than five.
Freshman Audrey Howard of Little Silver discusses her working hours at her summer job as a camp counselor.
“During the summer I worked 40-hour weeks. I don’t think it affected my studies, but it kind of affected me personally because I was too tired to go to the beach with my friends after and could only go during the weekend,” Howard said.
In the coming months, the maximum hours students can work will increase, but all they can hope for is that their jobs, summer or year round, will not interfere with all that happens in the busy life of a teenager.
