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My Work Rights

Tipped Workers

a waitress standing in the dining room of an upscale restaurant

On February 4, 2019, Gov. Phil Murphy signed Public Law 2019, c. 32, which amends the New Jersey Wage and Hour Law, incrementally increasing the state minimum hourly wage for most employees to $15/hour over the course of five years. This law also permits employers of tipped employees to take a “tip credit” toward their obligation to pay the minimum wage by paying a portion in cash to the employee with the balance of the minimum wage made up in earned tips. Tips are the sole property of the employee, and an employer may not take any portion of the workers earned tips for any purpose.

close-up of a waitress wearing an apron with pockets holding a pad and pen

How to get help or make a complaint:


If you believe that your employer has not properly paid you, or you have a question about your situation, we can help.

Make a complaint online, email wage.hour@dol.nj.gov, or call 609-292-2305. A trusted person can help file a complaint or email us on your behalf. NJDOL has multilingual staff who can help.

Your identity and other personally identifiable information are protected from disclosure to your employer and others, with limited exceptions. For more information, click here.

Other resources and information: