Orlando Employment Attorneys Fight for Employee & Employer Rights
When employees devote their time, effort, and skill to a job and an employer, they are promised a fair wage and often benefits in return. While some employers take this seriously and treat their employees fairly, there is an unfortunately increasing number of employers who abuse their power, either intentionally or carelessly, to deprive their employees of their earned and deserved remuneration.
When that happens, it’s important to have a legal advocate who will support you as an employee seeking what they fairly earned, either in pay or equitable treatment. An experienced Orlando employment law attorney at RTRLAW can help you fight for every dime, every benefit, and every right you’re entitled to.
What Rights Do I Have as an Employee in Orlando?
For more than 80 years, state and federal laws and guidelines have been enacted to ensure that employees are protected and not taken advantage of through an unfair balance of power. These laws and guidelines have expanded over the years, and they include a number of important categories:
- Overtime Policies: Most of the time, employees who work more than 40 hours in a calendar week are entitled to be paid what is known as “time and a half” according to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), a federal labor guideline. This means every hour over 40 hours in a work week likely entitles an employee to 150% of what they would earn in a normal hour.
- A Minimum Wage: As a rule, most employees in non-tipped positions are entitled to a minimum hourly rate of pay for their work. The federal minimum and the Florida state minimum wages are different. With the federal law requiring $7.25 an hour, the Florida Minimum Wage Act requires the higher rate of $11 an hour currently and will be increasing to $12 an hour in September 2023 and to $15 per hour by 2026.
- Your Unpaid Wages: Sometimes, an employer will take advantage of an employee leaving their position and not pay any owed outgoing wages. This may include everything from standard salary to other things like accrued paid time off or unused vacation days, and commissions that were earned. Most of the time, these rightfully belong to the employee, and the state of Florida allows employees to sue for them and have their employers pay for the legal fees if the lawsuit is successful.
- Emergency Leave: In many circumstances, an employee has the right to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for a number of events including injuries and illnesses they or a close family member are suffering, and the birth or adoption of a child any 12-month period of employment. . The federal Family and Medical Leave Act protects an employee from losing their job or being penalized for taking this time. In addition to those federal protections, the state of Florida also requires employers to grant up to three days of unpaid leave to victims of domestic violence. If your rights have been violated by your employer in any of these instances, you should seek the help of a skilled and experienced employment law attorney in Orlando.
How Do I Handle a Workplace Harassment or Discrimination Problem in Orlando?
The unfortunate reality is, there are employers and workplaces that do not submit to the standard of hiring the person who is best for a position regardless of their race, gender, religion, or other personal attributes. That kind of discrimination can come in many forms, some more obvious and some more subtle; for instance:
- Creating unreasonable or unnecessary qualifications for a specific position in order to isolate and disqualify members of certain minority groups.
- Refusing to hire someone because of their age, race gender, religion, or other discriminatory reasons.
- Denying a position to a person with different abilities even if they are able to do the job with reasonable workplace accommodations.
- Refusal to provide requested accommodations for differently abled employees.
- Failing to promote quality employees due to discriminatory motives.
- Unwillingness or refusal to make reasonable accommodations for employees’ religious practices or customs.
- Unequal or targeted use of disciplinary policies aimed at members of minority groups.
- Advertising promotions within the company which are designed to marginalize or exclude minority groups.
All of these issues and many more are the types of conduct that entitle employees to a number of compensation remedies, including the recouping of lost wages, reinstatement of a job, and other forms of relief (including the ability to have your employers pay for your legal expenses). All of which can likely be achieved with the help of a competent, compassionate, and experienced employment law attorney.
How Long Do I Have to File My Employment Discrimination Case?
Many people think you have a year or more to file an employment discrimination case. In Florida you have up to 300 days to file a charge of discrimination with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or 365 days to file with the Florida Commission on Human Relations. If you miss this deadline your claim for employment discrimination may be lost.
Because of the short timeline and the possibility of differences in how long you have to file, taking action quickly is key to getting a fair result. If you have an employment discrimination case, it is in your best interests to contact a local employment law attorney right away and get the process started. Otherwise, you may risk falling outside your filing window and being unable to proceed further with your case.
Do I Really Need an Employment Law Attorney?
It is difficult to navigate the complicated world of employment law, especially for someone with no background in the legal field. However, that doesn’t mean that you don’t deserve to receive your earned wages or a position that your employer has withheld from you. The only thing that will hold that employer accountable is the law. That’s why an experienced, hard-hitting employment law attorney is your best bet for getting your rightful compensation from your employer.
RTRLAW in Orlando has a dedicated and experienced team of employment law attorneys who are ready to fight for your rights. We believe in and fight for employees who are tired of being taken advantage of by powerful companies who don’t deliver what they have promised to their hard-working employees. Call us today in Orlando at (407) 343-5152 or toll free at 1-833-HIRE-RTR (1-833-447-3787). We are ready to fight for you to ensure your employer does the right thing.