Minimum Wage

• According to the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, as of 2009, the minimum hourly wage for workers in the state is $7.25. The state's Wage and Hour Law also allows the establishment of minimum wage standards through collective bargaining agreements between employers and trade unions, though no contract may take the minimum wage below this federally-established standard.
  
  

Break Times

• The New Jersey Wage and Hour Law does not require break times or meal periods for workers over the age of 18. Employers may choose to offer meal breaks, however, as they improve employee morale and focus, especially for those workers tasked with handling heavy machinery and must remain alert to perform at a level necessary to reduce on-the-job injuries.
  
  

Overtime Pay Rates

• Overtime pay is due to every employee in the state of New Jersey, salaried or otherwise, except those that are exempt employees, such as CEOs and other corporate executives. Workers are eligible for overtime pay for every hour over 40 worked through a standard five-day workweek. These hours are paid at one and one-half the employee's hourly wage. For example, if an employee's hourly wage is $10 per hour, his overtime wage would be $15 per hour.
  
  

Unpaid or Withheld Wages

• According to the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, it is illegal for an employer to withhold the wages of an employee for damage to tools or other workplace materials, such as plates and glassware. Employers are also not allowed to include food or lodging as payment for hours worked over 40 in a given workweek. All employees must be paid the wages that are owed to them for each pay period worked.
  
  

Employment of Minors

• Minors are permitted to begin working in the state of New Jersey at age 14. These employees must have working papers supplied by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development until age 18 and are required to have a physical medical exam as part of the workforce certification process. Minors under the age of 16 are not allowed to work during school hours and may not work more than three hours a day and 18 hours a week during the school year. During non-school months, minor workers age 14 to 18 may not work more than eight hours per day or 40 hours per week.