Employee Rights Reporter

Employee Rights Reporter is the blog provided by Sass Law Firm’s employment attorneys on a wide variety of labor and employment law topics.

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Expanded Whistleblower Protection May Be on the Horizon

In 2010, Congress passed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which created whistleblower protection for employees who exposed corporate violations of securities law.  While it seemed like a win for employees, several courts interpreted the law to mean that employees were only protected as whistleblowers if they disclosed the violations to the …

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Are Employees of Elected Officials Protected from Discrimination?

Do you work for an elected official of the State of Florida? Have you been discriminated against based on your race, sex, disability, age or other protected characteristic? You might be surprised to learn that common federal anti-discrimination laws (such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the American with Disabilities Act or the …

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Florida Court Rules – Public Whistleblowers Can Recover Compensatory Damages!

On July 24, 2019, in the case of Iglesias v. City of Hialeah, the Third District Court of Appeal of Florida changed the landscape for recoverable damages in retaliation claims by public whistleblowers—state, county and/or local government employees who expose and object to illegal practices and gross mismanagement. In its text, the Florida Whistle-blower Act …

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Termination: Are You Entitled to Payout of Vacation Time?

The short answer is—it depends. There is no federal or state law in Florida requiring private employers to pay out an employee’s accrued vacation or other paid time off (PTO) at the time of termination. Generally, you may be entitled to payout of your accrued, unused time in the following situations: Your employer promised or …

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Are Employers Required to Pay Holidays?

As we prepare for Independence Day, questions often arise about employees’ rights to holiday pay. To learn whether you are entitled to holiday pay, keep reading for answers to common questions. You may be surprised (or not) by the law. Is an employee entitled to holiday pay? No federal or Florida law requires employers to …

Are Employers Required to Pay Holidays? Read More »

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Can Employees Discuss Wages?

Often times employers want employees to keep their compensation information private and not discuss it with their co-workers. It seems logical, but is it legal? Generally, NO.  It is illegal for employers to prohibit or prevent non-management employees from openly discussing their wages, among other topics, with other employees. What The Law Says: The federal …

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My employer owes me money for time I worked. When does the law require them to pay?

Employees often ask when their employer is required to pay them for the hours they worked after they have been terminated or leave the job. Unfortunately, there isn’t a simple answer because Florida law generally does not specify a timeframe for payment. So, how does an employee get the wages they are owed if the …

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References: Can my former employer talk bad about me to prospective employers?

Have you ever wondered what your previous employer can say to a prospective employer? There is a common belief that your employer is only permitted to provide dates of employment and last position held. Unfortunately, this is simply not the case. Generally, Florida law provides an employer with “qualified immunity” from damages and defamation claims for disclosing …

References: Can my former employer talk bad about me to prospective employers? Read More »

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Job Loss? Know Your Rights About Continuing Your Health Insurance Benefits

As we move on from last week’s blog, many employees faced with termination often ask what happens to their health insurance benefits.  Both federal and state law generally permit you to continue your current health insurance coverage at your own expense when there is a job loss. Although coverage can also be continued in other …

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Additional Steps to Take if You Think You are About to Get Fired

Picking up from where we left off last week (see Steps to Take), just before being terminated or at the time you are being fired, you may not always remember all the right questions to ask or actions to take.  In the second part of this series, we provide additional things you can do to …

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