Employees in Florida and across the United States deserve fair pay for the hours worked. It is a company’s responsibility to make sure they follow Florida’s wage laws, which include minimum wage concerns, overtime payments, breaks and lunches.
While Florida has clear standards on many different topics regarding wages, there are some items that do not have any state regulations. In these cases, the state follows the federal government’s Fair Labor Standards Act on wage payments. It is helpful to understand Florida’s wage laws to ensure employees receive all they are entitled to.
Wages and breaks
Some of the most common types of wage violations include overtime, tips and breaks, according to Florida state statutes. Although companies must pay their employees time and a half for each hour worked over 40 hours in a standard work week, companies do not have to pay employees for working over 8 hours a day. They may, however, have to pay employees overtime for working more than 10 hours a day.
When a position involves earned tips, the employer may pay a reduced minimum wage rate. It is important to ensure, however, that the worker’s tips combined with the reduced rate add up to the standard minimum wage. If it does not, the employer must make up the difference.
Florida state statutes do not require employers to establish breaks for employees. However, FLSA maintains that companies must pay employees for rest periods that are less than 20 minutes. Breaks or lunches that are 30 minutes or longer can be unpaid if employees do not have to work during that time.
Minimum wage
Employees should receive at least the minimum wage set in state statutes. If they feel as though their employer has committed a wage violation, employees should report a written grievance to their manager. The employer then has 15 days to respond and pay the amount issued in the grievance.
Wage violations are extremely serious and may be fought on a state and federal level if needed.