NJ teens now permitted to work longer hours during the summer under new law

Gov. Phil Murphy has signed a bipartisan bill that will allow New Jersey’s teenagers to work longer hours during the summer.

News 12 Staff

Jul 6, 2022, 10:12 AM

Updated 821 days ago

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Gov. Phil Murphy has signed a bipartisan bill that will allow New Jersey’s teenagers to work longer hours during the summer.
One of the hottest spots to work in the summer as a New Jersey teenager is at the Jersey Shore. Many teens work jobs like beach badge checkers, serving ice cream or working at a restaurant.
“I’m working four days a week – 25 hours,” says Brendan Jelley. “So, I’m making anywhere between $500 and a grand a week.”
Jelley attends Southern Regional High School. He is also a server at Hemingway’s Café in Seaside Heights. He says his goal for working is to save money for college.
Other teens have their own reasons for working.
“I like to work a lot because I’m saving up for a car eventually,” says Broke Schumann, who attends Toms River East High School.
“It gives me something to do so I’m not sitting around all summer,” says Ethan Huff, of Donovan Catholic.
The new law will allow 16- and 17-year-olds to work 50 hours a week, up from 40 hours. They can also work up to 10 hours per day. The rules only apply during the summer season.
The new law could help employers experiencing staffing shortages. The New Jersey Business and Industry Association praised the new law.
“It will help employers find more workers, allow teens more work hours and more pay and help New Jersey residents and visitors avoid longer summer waits and lines at their favorite destinations,” the association wrote in a statement.
The timing of the law comes as four Jersey Mike’s locations in New Jersey were fined $24,000 for violating child labor laws. The Labor Department says the chain was having 14- and 15-year-olds work too many hours and past 9 p.m.
Under the new law, the Labor Department will also be setting up a database that will help teens and parents get access to and fill out working papers. Teens currently must go through their schools to get the papers.
The Labor Department will get $1 million to set up the database.