If you are employed in Florida, multiple state and federal laws define how your employer should treat you while you are on the job. Federal and state laws protect workers and job applicants from discrimination, harassment, being cheated out of earned wages, wrongful termination, having to endure a hostile or unsafe work environment, and other forms of mistreatment.
If your employer is mistreating you, then you can fight back with the help of an experienced Florida employment law attorney. At Cruz Law Firm, P.A., our mission is to protect employees’ rights and help them recover compensation for the losses, employment discrimination, and mistreatment they have suffered.
Contact Cruz Law Firm today if your employer or prospective employer has treated you unfairly due to your race, gender, age, disability, or other protected characteristics during hiring, employment, compensation, or termination from a job. Our employment law firm is known for taking some of the most challenging employment law cases in Florida. Our workplace attorneys are ready to put our reputation and legal power to work for you.
Call or text (850) 518-6319 or submit our consultation request form today.
How Florida Employment Law Protects Workers
Numerous laws in Florida and the U.S. Federal Code define the relationship between employers and employees. These laws apply to applicants, employees, and former employees, regardless of their citizenship or work authorization status. Most employers with at least 15 employees are covered by federal law. Full-time, part-time, seasonal, and temporary employees are protected if they work for a covered employer.
The Florida Civil Rights Act and federal law protect employees from employer discrimination in hiring, training, job assignments, promotions, pay, fringe benefits, firing, layoffs, and other conditions of employment. It is illegal for an employer to allow its customers or vendors to discriminate against the employer’s workers.
At the same time, Florida is an at-will employment state. Employees in Florida are free to quit jobs at any time, for any reason, with or without notice. An employer can terminate an individual’s employment anytime for any reason that does not involve discrimination or retaliation.
At-will employment allows employers to change the terms of employment, such as wages, benefits, or job descriptions, as long as it’s not for an illegal reason and does not violate an existing employment contract.
Florida workers need to understand their rights. Not every adverse decision by an employer is illegal. If you believe an employer, supervisor, or co-worker discriminates against you, have an employment attorney at Cruz Law Firm review the situation. We’ll try first to resolve problems or rectify a bad situation and will help you pursue a legal claim if necessary.
Employee Rights in Florida
Employers in Florida cannot treat employees unfavorably if their actions are based on the employee’s protected status. Federal laws, which take precedence over state law, prohibit discrimination, harassment, or retaliation based on:
- Race
- Color
- Religion
- Sex, including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity
- National origin
- Disability
- Age (40 or older)
- Genetic information, including family medical history.
Florida law also prohibits discrimination based on:
- Marital status.
- Having or being perceived to have acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
- Having the sickle-cell trait.
Employees have a right to:
- Equal pay for equal work.
- A safe and healthful workplace and working conditions free of known dangers.
- Reasonable accommodations for disabilities or medical conditions to allow workers to perform essential functions of their job.
- Reasonable accommodations needed because of religious beliefs.
- Expect that any medical information or genetic information they share with their employers will be kept confidential.
- Report workplace discrimination, participate in a discrimination investigation or lawsuit, or oppose discrimination without retaliation for doing so.
Employment Contracts in Florida
Because Florida is an at-will employment state, most employers do not offer general employment contracts. When used, employment contracts are typically for executives and professionals or to establish relationships with temporary employees, contractors, and subcontractors.
However, once executed, written and oral employment contracts in Florida are legally binding and enforceable. A breach of employment contract lawsuit would seek to prove harm caused by the employer’s failure to uphold the agreement. In a successful lawsuit, the court may order the employer to pay monetary damages to the injured employee.
An employment contract should spell out the employee’s job duties and responsibilities, work hours, starting salary, time off, and benefits, such as health and life insurance and employer contributions to retirement plans. In some jobs, contracts may include confidentiality agreements and non-compete clauses.
Under Florida labor and employment law, for an employment contract to be valid, it must establish:
- Clear intent for the parties to be bound by the terms of the contract.
- Definite terms that are clear enough to be enforced.
- Consideration, which is something of value promised by one party to the other in exchange for something of value, such as money and benefits promised for the performance of job duties.
If you are considering an employment contract in Florida, Cruz Law Firm can review the terms of a proposed contract and explain them to you in plain English. Our employment lawyers can negotiate with your employer on your behalf to demand fair and favorable terms for you.
If you did not secure legal counsel before signing an employment contract, an experienced employment attorney from our firm can review your contract and determine whether it is binding.
Employment Law Cases We Handle
The experienced employment attorneys at Cruz Law can advise you on employment law matters, negotiate terms, and pursue employment litigation on your behalf pertaining to:
- Unpaid Wages and Fair Labor Standards Act violations
- Discrimination and Harassment
- Sexual Harassment
- Wrongful Termination
- Workplace Safety and Health
- Family Medical Leave Act
- Employee Benefits and Protections
- Retaliation and Whistleblower Protections
Resolving Employment Disputes
If you believe you are a victim of discrimination, harassment, or other illegal employment practices in your workplace, a Florida workplace lawyer with Cruz Law Firm can help you stand up for what is right.
After speaking with you and reviewing your documentation, we can try to negotiate with your employer. Cruz Law has a solid reputation across the Florida Panhandle after having prevailed in many of Florida’s most challenging employment law cases. A letter from one of our employment law attorneys may be enough to resolve the issue.
If we cannot resolve a dispute informally, we can help you file a complaint with the Florida Commission on Human Relations (FCHR) or the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). These agencies investigate complaints of employee rights violations and will try to mediate settlements. Our firm can help you prepare for mediation and ensure your rights are upheld during these proceedings.
If mediation is unsuccessful, but the FCHR or EEOC has found cause for the complaint, the agency will issue a Notice of Right to Sue. Our employment attorneys can file a lawsuit on your behalf, demanding compensation or other relief, such as reinstatement to a job. We will ask the court to provide relief that meets your needs.
Talk to the Experienced Employment Law Attorneys at Cruz Law Firm
The Florida employment lawyers at Cruz Law Firm can help you understand employment laws and stand your ground to demand justice if an employer has violated your rights. You may be owed substantial compensation for employee rights violations you have suffered, and we can help you recover it.
The Cruz Law Firm represents hard-working employees like you in Tallahassee, Jacksonville, and the Florida Panhandle. Our workplace lawyers provide each client with robust legal advocacy and personalized service, no matter how complicated their case. Contact a Florida employment attorney with our law firm today.