By Arnab Dey
If you live in Florida and are looking for a job, there are many employment laws that protect you.
These laws are designed to ensure that employers treat employees fairly and that they follow certain guidelines regarding wages, hours, safety, and more.
Having an understanding of these laws can help you know what to do when you feel that your rights have been violated by your employer.
Discrimination
Discrimination in the workplace is illegal and can have serious impacts on an employee’s career and earning potential. It can also lead to anxiety, performance issues, emotional distress, and fear among other problems.
There are many different types of discrimination in the workplace. These include race, gender, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, and pregnancy.
Florida employment laws are designed to protect employees from discrimination based on these protected categories. If you believe that you have been discriminated against, contact an experienced Miami Employment Law Attorneys right away to find out your rights and how to protect yourself.
Wrongful Termination
In Florida, employment is generally considered “at-will.” This means that employers can fire employees at any time for any reason or no reason at all.
However, there are important exceptions to this law. For example, it is illegal to terminate an employee because of her gender, race, national origin, or pregnancy.
If you have been fired in this way, contact a Miami wrongful termination attorney. These attorneys can help you prove that your employer violated your rights and recover damages for them.
Retaliation
If you’ve reported discrimination or filed a complaint against your employer, it’s illegal for them to retaliate against you. This includes firing, threatening to fire, demoting, transferring you, or negatively evaluating your work performance.
Retaliation can also include denying you advancement opportunities or reducing your wages for the same reason. For example, if you’re on family leave and then get a job offer but are not given a promotion, it’s a clear sign of retaliation.
Retaliation laws in Miami and across the country prevent employers from retaliating against employees for legally protected activities, including filing a harassment or discrimination complaint, refusing to follow a discriminatory order, acting as a whistleblower, or complaining about wage theft. Depending on the law in place, you may be entitled to recover back pay for lost or reduced wages.
Employment Contracts
Employment contracts are legally binding documents that outline the terms of an employee’s employment relationship with their employer. They typically include wages or salary, benefits, a trial period, and other details.
Florida employment laws are based on the “at will” employment doctrine, meaning an employer can terminate an employee for any reason or no reason at all. However, this can be avoided by drafting a written contract.
Related: What Is An Employment Contract Lawyer? A Beginners Guide
Family Leave Act
The Family Leave Act protects employees who need to take time off from work for reasons like the birth of a child or to care for a sick family member. It also gives them the opportunity to continue receiving their group health insurance benefits during that time as long as they meet certain conditions.
Almost every state in the country has some form of paid family and medical leave. Typically, these laws provide an average of six to twelve weeks of fully or partially paid leave to workers for their own serious medical conditions or to care for a loved one with a serious medical condition.
Wage and Hour
Employees in Miami are guaranteed to be paid a certain minimum wage per hour worked. The federal rate is $7.25, but the state of Florida has passed legislation to increase that rate.
A worker who believes that their employer is violating these laws should speak with an attorney about their rights. If they do, they may be able to pursue compensation from their employers in a civil case.
Workers also need to be paid overtime if they work over 40 hours a week. They are entitled to time and a half of their regular pay for all hours over that amount.
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