Working with Minors and High School Volunteers

Rutgers and NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development Guidelines

  1. Rutgers Institutional Planning and Operations: Protection of Minors
  2. Rutgers Institutional Planning and Operations: What You Need to Know about Working with Minors
  3. Department of Labor & Workforce Development: Young Workers in NJ: Rights and Protections for Workers under 18

Youth Employment Guidelines in New Jersey

  1. All minors working in NJ must have an employment certificate, also known as "working papers," or a special permit for each job they work.
  2. All minors must be given a 30-minute meal break after 6 continuous hours of work. Breaks less than 30 minutes do not count as an interruption of continuous work.
  3. Minors may not work more than 6 consecutive days in a week.
  4. Workers under 16 may not work more than 40 hours a week and 8 hours a day, with certain exceptions for agricultural work.
  5. During the school year, minors under 16 may only work outside of scheduled school hours.
  6. Workers 16 and up may work up to 50 hours in one week and up to 10 hours a day only between the last day of school and Labor Day.