Employment Law
Florida is a “right to work state”, which equivocates to an employer having the right to hire and fire employees without cause. However, despite Florida’s lack of employee protections, there are still many instances where an employer may be violating federal discrimination or retaliation protections.
Federally Protected Classes
Federal law prohibits employees from being discriminated against based on race, national/ethnic origins, sexual orientation, gender, marital status, pregnancy, or disability. Special protection is also afforded for individuals who report sexual harassment or illegal activity by their employer. Some may feel vulnerable, ashamed, and even responsible for some of this mistreatment. Others may be afraid of being terminated for making a claim. If you feel that there is evidence of your employer discriminating or even terminating you based on any of these categories, you may have the ability to sue for damages. These lawsuits may be brought to the Florida Commission on Human Resources (FCHR) or its federal counterpart, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
Navigating through governmental agencies is a daunting task and although some claimants are able to do this alone, it is often beneficial and less time consuming to seek legal assistance from an attorney who specializes in Employment and Labor law. The law offices of Massey & Duffy, PLLC offer free consultations for employees who feel that they have been wrongfully discriminated against based on a protected class or protected activity. Call our offices today at (352) 505-8900.
Florida Federal Contractors
On September 7, 2015, President Barack Obama signed an Executive Order requiring all federal contractors and subcontractors to be provided Paid Sick Leave. If you are an employee of a company that holds federal contracts and you are supporting those contracts, you may be covered.
The provisions of this Executive Order include:
- A minimum of 1 hour of sick leave accrued for every 30 hours worked
- Sick Leave may not be capped lower than seven days (56 working hours)
- Qualified employees may use this leave for mental or physical health conditions, preventative care or diagnosis, or for the care of a family member.
- Accrued leave may be carried over to the next calendar year.
You may read the full Executive Order here.
Employment Law Blogs:
https://www.lawfficespace.com/ – Philip Miles, an attorney with McQuaide Blasko in State College, Pennsylvania, and law professor at Penn State.
https://www.employmentlawmonitor.com/ – published by Cole Schotz, a national law firm that represents individuals and businesses in labor and employment law. Offices in NY, NJ, DE, MD, and TX.
https://employeeatty.blogspot.com/ – published by Donna Ballman, a Florida Employment lawyer in Fort Lauderdale.