New Jersey Labor Laws
An employer guide for 2026

New Jersey labor laws at a glance

New Jersey has one of the higher minimum wages in the country, an earned sick leave law that covers employers of every size and state-run disability and family leave insurance. Here is a quick view based on the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL).

EZTime labor rule alerts flag overtime and missed rest periods before payroll.

New Jersey minimum wage

For 2026, New Jersey's minimum wage is $15.92 per hour for most employees. NJDOL lists several separate rates for the year:

• Seasonal and small employers: $15.23 per hour. The U.S. DOL state table describes the small-employer rate as applying to employers with fewer than 6 employees.
• Agricultural workers paid hourly or by piece rate: $14.20 per hour.
• Long-term care facility direct care staff: $18.92 per hour.
• Tipped workers: a cash wage of $6.05 per hour, with a maximum tip credit of $9.87.

Rates announced for January 1, 2027

NJDOL has published its 2027 public notice. Starting January 1, 2027, the general minimum wage becomes $16.48 per hour, the rate for small employers and seasonal employees becomes $16.25 and the farm labor rate becomes $15.00. NJDOL's tipped workers page adds that employers using a tip credit must pay tipped employees at least $6.61 per hour in cash from January 1, 2027. Plan these increases into your 2027 labor budget now.

Tip rules

The NJDOL Employers' Guide states that tips are the sole property of the employee, and an employer may not take any portion of earned tips for any purpose. If you run a tip pool, you must tell employees the required contribution, may not keep pooled tips or share them with non-tipped staff, and must make sure every employee still reaches the full minimum hourly wage after tips and cash wages are combined.

Overtime in New Jersey

Most workers are owed time-and-a-half after 40 hours of actual work in a seven-day workweek. New Jersey has no daily overtime rule. Certain salaried employees may be exempt if they meet the executive, administrative or professional definitions, and NJDOL notes that non-exempt salaried employees are also owed overtime for hours over 40. See our FLSA overtime guide and the overtime calculator.

Meal and rest breaks

For employees 18 and older, NJDOL's employer FAQ says break and lunch periods are a matter of company policy. New Jersey does not require them for adults.

For minors, NJDOL's workers under 18 page and its child labor law abstract state that minors must get a 30-minute meal break after 6 consecutive hours of work, and breaks shorter than 30 minutes do not interrupt continuous work. Note that NJDOL's employer FAQ still describes the break as due after five consecutive hours. Scheduling the meal period before a minor reaches five hours satisfies both descriptions.

Earned sick leave and other leave

New Jersey's Earned Sick Leave law applies to employers of all sizes and covers full-time, part-time and temporary employees, with limited exclusions such as union construction workers and per diem health care workers. The main rules:

• Employees earn 1 hour for every 30 hours worked, or the employer may advance 40 hours at the start of the benefit year.
• Employers must provide up to 40 hours per benefit year and allow up to 40 unused hours to carry over, though use is still capped at 40 hours a year.
• Leave may be used for the employee's or a loved one's physical or mental illness, wellness care, domestic or sexual violence matters, and school meetings requested by a child's school.
• Employers may require up to 7 days' notice for planned leave.
• Give each employee a written notice of Earned Sick Leave rights at hire, display the poster and keep compliance records for five years.

Disability and family leave insurance

New Jersey also runs Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) and Family Leave Insurance (FLI), which provide wage replacement to workers who are temporarily unable to work because of illness, injury, pregnancy, family bonding or caring for a sick family member. NJDOL announced that the maximum weekly TDI and FLI benefit increased to $1,119 for 2026, with a worker taxable wage base of $171,100. NJDOL's leave benefits page also notes expanded job protection for workers starting July 17, 2026. Contact NJDOL for details on how these programs apply to your workforce.

Paydays and final paychecks

New Jersey employers must pay wages at least twice per month on regular paydays. Certain bona fide executive, supervisory and other special classifications may be paid monthly on a regular schedule. Each time you pay wages, you must provide a statement of deductions showing gross and net wages, either on paper or electronically. Employers may not make illegal deductions, such as for breakage or cash register shortages.

When an employee leaves, NJDOL's employer FAQ states you may wait until the next regular payday for the pay period, whether the employee quit or was fired. Paid vacation is not required by New Jersey law, but if you offer it, apply your policy or agreement uniformly.

Child labor hours and working papers

Every worker under 18 in New Jersey must have working papers before starting any job. The process runs through MyWorkingPapers.nj.gov; NJDOL's April 2026 announcement explains that schools are no longer part of the process, employers must register online and receive an eight-digit Employer Unique Code, and that code must be given to each newly hired minor.

All minors are limited to 6 consecutive days of work. Check NJDOL's workers under 18 page for occupation limits.

Recordkeeping and posters

NJDOL says wage and hour laws typically require employers to keep time and payroll records for six years, and Earned Sick Leave records for five years. For each minor, keep the name, address, date of birth, daily start, stop and meal times, daily hours and wages paid. Required posters are free at nj.gov/labor/posters and must be displayed where workers can easily see them.

How EZTime helps New Jersey employers

With separate 2026 and 2027 rates, sick leave accrual and meal breaks for minors, New Jersey payroll has many moving parts. EZTime gives you a GPS mobile time clock with geofencing, NFC tags, a tablet kiosk and biometric clocks, so every punch is tied to the right person and place. Build schedules with shift templates and let staff request swaps, get overtime and break alerts before a shift goes long, and track PTO and sick-leave balances automatically. When the pay period closes, export payroll-ready Excel or PDF reports that work with any payroll software. See the attendance clock and scheduling software, or check pricing: plans start at $2 per employee per month with a 14-day trial.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Laws change; check the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development or an employment attorney. Last reviewed November 2026.