Tallahassee Wage & Hour Lawyer
As a Tallahassee-area worker you have certain rights with respect to compensation. Florida employers must pay their employees at least the state-mandated minimum wage. And if you work more than 40 hours in a given work-week, you are entitled to overtime pay for any additional hours. Your employer must also furnish you with a pay statement clearly explaining your compensation and noting any deductions, such as tax withholding.
If your employer is not following the rules, a qualified Tallahassee wage & hour lawyer can help. Florin Gray, is a Florida employment law firm dedicated to representing employees. We can take legal action on your behalf against an employer who has failed to pay you what you are owed under the law.
The Basics of Minimum Wage and Overtime Pay in Florida
The minimum wage sets a “price floor” for labor. Basically, you cannot be paid less than the currently applicable minimum wage. Although the federal minimum wage has remained stagnant for many years, Florida’s minimum wage is actually one of the best in the country thanks to a 2020 constitutional amendment.
Florida’s new minimum wage law is designed to reach $15 per hour on September 30, 2026. As of September 2022, the state-mandated minimum wage is $11 per hour. Again, this is only a floor that your employer cannot go below.
Overtime pay comes into play if you work more than 40 hours in a given work-week. The legally mandated overtime rate is at least 1.5 times your normal hourly wage. So if you earn the current minimum wage of $11 per hour, your overtime rate would then be 1.5 times that amount, or $16.50 per hour.
Some employers try to avoid their wage and hour obligations by attempting to classify employees as either “exempt” or independent contractors. An exempt employee means that person is exempt from receiving minimum wage or overtime pay. Typically, salaried workers in “executive, administrative, or professional” positions are considered exempt. There are some other specific categories of exempt employees, such as commissioned outside salespeople, but most hourly workers are non-exempt.
As for independent contractors, these are self-employed individuals who are contracted to perform specific work for an employer. Independent contractors are typically responsible for their own compensation arrangements, and as such are not subject to minimum wage or overtime rules. This creates an unfortunate incentive for some employers to claim their regular employees are actually contractors, which is against the law.
Contact Florin Gray Today
When you put in an honest day’s work, you have the right to an honest day’s pay as defined by the law. If your employer is not doing that, you need to speak with an experienced Tallahassee wage and hour attorney as soon as possible. We can help you file a lawsuit to collect the back pay and other damages you are entitled to under the law. Contact Florin Gray, today to schedule a free initial consultation with a member of our employment law team.
