Making the Most of Florida Labor and Employment Law

Protect your business and employees with Florida employment law

By Emmet McMahan
The key to making the most of Florida labor and employment law is engaging in fair hiring practices, complying with safety standards and keeping a good work environment. Florida labor law was originally intended to simply improve working conditions for employees, but it also improves the relationship between employers and employees. The resulting increase in productivity also increases profits for owners.

Florida employment laws include regulations on specific issues such as break and lunch periods, employee-to-foreman ratios, job safety and the work environment. Labor laws also must be regularly updated to deal with changes in technology and work requirements.

Florida labor and employment law can be grouped into the following areas:
  1. Overtime laws that govern how employees are to be paid after working their normal work day. These laws are most applicable for suits involving the restoration of overtime pay.
  2. Employment laws in Florida that deal with disabled workers, especially with regard to the Americans with Disabilities Act.
  3. Tax laws that affect damages earned for emotional distress on lawsuits. Recent changes in these laws mean that any settlement of this type will now be far lower.

 

Stay current on labor laws in Florida

These laws can change frequently and it's essential that you keep up to date in order to protect your business from frivolous lawsuits and understand your rights as an employer.
Try: The State of Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation offers links to the specific laws in Florida regarding workers. Learn more about employment and labor laws in Florida and browse other employment and labor resources at Megalaw.com.

Study state guidelines to help you comply with Florida labor laws

Florida has official state websites that provide extensive information on employment regulations. There are also many other sites that provide summaries of state employment and labor laws.
Try: The Florida Senate provides the specific laws regarding labor under Title 31 of the Florida statutes. The Florida Division of Workers’ Compensation provides extensive official resources on workers’ compensation in Florida.

Use Florida employment law firms

Labor lawyers in Florida can help you understand the often complex laws regarding your employees. Many of these attorneys also provide summaries of these laws on their websites.
Try: To learn more, browse the many articles on employment law in Florida at Donna M Ballman, P.A. Employment Law Attorney who practices in Fort Lauderdale. The Minnick Law Firm in Tallahassee hosts a variety of resources on employment law.

 

  • Employers with three or more employees must display mandatory Florida labor law posters. This is required in order to comply with both the United States Department of Labor and Florida Department of Labor. The most common locations for these posters are areas where employees tend to congregate during breaks such as conference rooms, lunch rooms and near time clocks.