Bradenton Wage & Hour Lawyer

If your Florida employer failed to pay you the full wages you’ve earned, you may have a claim under both Florida and federal labor laws. You may also be entitled to reimbursement of legal fees and court costs. If you believe you have a claim against your employer, it’s important to contact a Bradenton wage and hour lawyer who has experience with wage and hour claims right away.

Minimum Wage in Florida

Effective January 1, 2019, the minimum wage in Florida was raised from $8.25 an hour to $8.46 an hour. Tipped employees also saw a rise in minimum wage from $5.23 an hour to $5.44 an hour. This applies across the entire state, as Florida passed a law years ago that prohibits any city or county from deviating from the statewide approved minimum wage.

Bradenton Unpaid Wages

If you believe you were not paid the right amount, you need to calculate the difference between what you should’ve been paid at the right minimum wage amount versus what you were actually paid. Then, you would multiply that by the number of hours you worked that particular week.

Tipped employees can be paid a lower minimum wage amount, but the amount you are paid must meet the amount required under Florida’s tipped minimum wage. In the event you didn’t earn enough in your tipped wages, the law requires the employer to make up the difference.

Bradenton Unpaid Overtime

Unpaid overtime claims are very common in Florida. Although Florida doesn’t have its own overtime laws, all employers are bound by the federal laws, which means you are entitled to overtime pay when you work over 40 hours in any one workweek.

Non-exempt employees who are paid an hourly wage are entitled to overtime, while some categories of employees are exempt. These typically include managerial and professional-level positions. However, a lot of employers misclassify employees, attempting to place them on salary and not pay any overtime. This is a common violation and sometimes it’s intentional, but many times it is not.

Understanding Time Off and Breaks

There is no federal or state law that requires an employer to give you a rest break or meal break. However, if your employer does provide time off during the day, federal law says that you should be paid for any short breaks that last less than 20 minutes, as well as any time you are required to work despite the fact the employer labels it a break. A common example of this is an employee who is required to stay at their desk and eat during their supposed lunch break. If you cannot take off, it is not a true break and therefore must be compensated.

Contact a Bradenton Wage and Hour Claim Lawyer

Both federal and state laws allow employees to recover penalties in addition to wages and overtime pay they were entitled to. Your attorney can help walk you through the types of compensation you’re eligible to receive based on your particular situation. If you need assistance with pursuing a claim against your employer, contact The Pendas Law Firm at 844-200-0000 today to schedule a consultation.