For many, Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer. Vacationers flock to the shore, families start having cookouts, and kids start counting the days until school’s end. Soon, they’re going start looking for summer jobs.
This being New Jersey, we know there are a lot of rules when it comes to hiring students, particularly those under the age of 18. And if you don’t follow the rules, the penalties can be stiff. NJBIA has plenty of free resources to help employers stay in compliance, but here are a few highlights.
Workers under 18:
- must have signed working papers and undergo a physical;
- cannot work more than 40 hours a week;
- must get at least one lunch break within an 8-hour workday;
- cannot work before 7 a.m. or after 11 p.m. (6 a.m. or 11 p.m. for 16- and 17-year-olds); and
- are limited in the types of jobs they can do.
Employers also have a new paid sick leave law to deal with. The good news is it does not take effect until October, so it won’t impact businesses’ directly this summer. The law does cover seasonal and part-time workers, but with an important distinction: the accrue sick time as soon as they start working, but an employer can prevent them from taking paid sick time until they worked there 120 days.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me at the Member Action Center, 1-800-499-4419 or member411@njbia.org.
Also, make sure you get out and get some sun this summer as well!
Resources for employers:
