Florida labor laws exist to ensure that employees get paid what they are legally owed and protect employees from illegal actions such as harassment. They are far-reaching and include state statutes and federal statutes such as the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

At Wenzel Fenton Cabassa, P.A., we are dedicated to fighting for employee rights and providing workers across the state with the information they need regarding Florida labor laws.

Florida Employment and Labor Laws

From minimum wage to overtime, there are strict guidelines that employers must follow when they are paying their employees. However, it is not uncommon for employers across the state to not obey these laws. Violations can sometimes be due to ignorance of the law, but employers often decide not to follow them to decrease their costs of doing business.

If companies violate these laws, their workers have a right to obtain legal counsel to hold them accountable.

Minimum Wage Laws

Minimum wage laws set the standard base pay for employees across industries. Federal minimum wage laws bind employers, but if a state, such as Florida, has passed legislation higher than the federal rate, employees have the legal right to that higher rate.

When Florida voters approved state measures for an incremental increase in the state’s minimum wage in November 2020, it was a win for employee rights. The state’s minimum wage is now up to $10.00/hour, and the minimum wage for tipped employees is $6.98/hour (until September 29, 2022). Employers must pay that wage to all those who qualify.

Salaried

Under the FLSA and Florida labor laws, salaried employees get paid a certain amount in agreed-upon intervals such as bi-weekly or monthly. The full amount should be paid regardless of the hours worked each week.

There are some caveats to full payment under the FLSA, including if the employee does not work a whole week, overuse of benefit days, personal leave, and disciplinary suspensions.

Hourly

Even though the federal minimum wage is $7.25/hour, hourly workers have a right to the Florida rate of $10.00/hour as long as they are eligible. Most employees are subject to the individual coverage provision of the state law and FLSA.

Part-Time

If you are a full-time student at a Florida high school or a college student working part-time, Florida labor laws allow employers to pay 85% of the minimum wage or $8.50/hour in certain industries. The minimum wage in Florida would apply to other part-timers.

Overtime Laws

The FLSA is the federal law that protects workers in the state regarding overtime. There are no rules in Florida labor laws that address this part of employee rights, including salaried, hourly, and part-time workers.

Salaried

Certain workers are considered exempt under the FLSA, including many salaried workers, such as those in management positions (executives, administrators, other professionals, and computer science employees). If you are salaried and not in one of these positions, you may be considered non-exempt and eligible for overtime.

Hourly

Hourly workers have the right to get the time and a half pay for each hour worked over 40 hours in a workweek. For example, if your wages are $10.00/hour and you work 50 hours in a particular workweek, you should receive $10.00 x 1.5 = $15.00/hour for those extra 10 hours.

Part-Time

It is not common for part-time employees to receive enough hours to be eligible for overtime pay. If it does occur, your employer is legally bound to pay you time and a half for any hours worked over 40 in a particular week under the FLSA.

Severance Pay

Under Florida labor laws, there is no requirement for companies to pay severance for workers laid off due to no fault of their own. However, many companies do, such as when there are plant closings or large-scale reductions in the workforce across a national company with multiple locations.

Salaried

Severance pay for salaried workers typically depends on the time the employee was with the company before the layoff. There is not a definitive standard for severance pay, but common payouts include:

• Less than 1 year = between 2 to 4 weeks of pay
• Less than 2 years = between 3 to 8 weeks of pay
• Less than 3 years = between 4 to 12 weeks of pay, etc.

The longer you are with the company, the more you receive.

Hourly

Similar to salaried workers, full-time hourly workers may get severance, and it is also typically tied to how long you have been with the company. Severance can be paid out in a lump sum, over time, or other methods.

Part-Time

Typically, part-time employees have not worked enough hours to receive severance, though some companies may decide to include them.

Paid Sick Leave and FMLA

Many private-sector employers will offer paid sick leave as an employee benefit but are not required to do so. Public sector employees, as a general rule, receive paid sick leave. Most employers are required to follow the rules of the FMLA (50 or more employees within a 75-mile radius and government institutions).

Salaried

Salaried workers receive a set wage, which typically includes paid sick leave—those who work for a salary usually qualify for FMLA benefits.

Hourly

Many hourly workers earn a certain amount of paid sick leave per year and may utilize that time to offset the missed wages in conjunction with leave from work under the FMLA (which is unpaid).

Part-Time

Part-time workers accrue less paid time off than full-time workers if the employer even offers it at all. The federal laws under the FMLA still apply, but there is a standard number of hours worked to qualify. (1,250 hours in the previous 12 months).

Common Florida Labor Law Violations

Here are 3 common Florida labor law violations:

1. Employees are required to work through breaks but are not compensated for the extra time they have worked.
2. Employees are instructed to work on a particular job or project that extends their work hours into overtime, making their pay below the minimum wage after not getting compensated for that extra time worked.
3. Employers do not follow FMLA guidelines and/or retaliate against the employee for legally taking time off under the act.

When to Contact a Florida Employment and Labor Law Attorney

If your employer has not paid you at least Florida minimum wage and earned overtime or conducted other potential Florida labor law violations, contact a Florida Employment and Labor Law Attorney to discuss your best legal options.

Employee rights should be honored, and you deserve fair pay.

Contact Wenzel Fenton Cabassa, P.A. today to schedule a free, confidential consultation.