NJDOL set to launch new application portal for working papers

The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) announced last week that a new online application for teenagers who need working papers will launch June 1.

The new portal, MyWorkingPapersnj.gov, is part of an effort to digitize and streamline the process, in accordance with a law signed last year by Gov. Phil Murphy (Assembly Bill 4222/Senate Bill 2796), which NJBIZ reported about last August.

The NJDOL says that minors who need working papers and any employer who hires a worker under the age of 18 in the state can visit the site and register and follow the prompts to complete the online application. Schools will no longer be involved in the process.

“This is a significant update in how minors acquire their working papers, which they need for employment in New Jersey,” said Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo in a press release. “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.”

In a press release, the NJDOL laid out the steps in the new application process, which include:

• Teenagers and their employers each go to MyWorkingPapers.nj.gov to get started.
• Employers receive a unique eight-digit code upon registration that is shared 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 eight-digit code when they register, 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 documents verifying the minor’s age.
• The minor begins working when the application is approved.

The labor department has also developed an online suite of information, services and resources for young workers which can be found here.