First, if the company honestly fired you based on "a finding that you were harassing other employees," then you have no case. Second, if the company's reason for termination is false and you were really fired for your complaints of harassment, the next questions would be "was... View More

As an at will employee, you can't force other employees to wear masks but you have the legal right to voluntarily terminate your employment to remove yourself from your undesirable situation.

Alternatively, if you feel the company policy is unfair and adversely affecting the terms and... View More

Under Fla. Stat. § 381.00317, a private employer may not impose a vaccine mandate unless the employees are allowed to opt out on the basis of 5 separate reasons:

- Medical reasons (including pregnancy & anticipated future pregnancy)

- Religious reasons (including moral or... View More

To clarify the previous responses, the Florida legislature has passed a bill that will prohibit a private employer from imposing a COVID-19 vaccination mandate for any full-time, part-time, or contract employee without providing individual exemptions that allow an employee to opt out on the basis... View More

No. If the employer knew or should have known that you were working, you are entitled to be paid for the time worked. However, you could be subject to discipline, including termination, for failing to adhere to their time clocking policy.

Good question. Under the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), the answer would have been "no" (unless your employer fell under a statutory exemption). However, effective January 1, 2021, FFCRA paid leave became optional, meaning covered employers were no longer... View More

No. Information about an employee’s COVID-19 vaccination status is considered confidential medical information under the ADA. Additionally, under Florida law, every employer who provides health insurance benefits "shall maintain the confidentiality of information relating to the medical... View More

Good question. While a private employer is permitted to require employees to be vaccinated, information about an employee’s COVID-19 vaccination status is considered confidential medical information under the ADA. According to the EEOC, the ADA requires an employer to maintain the... View More

Under Florida law, private employers generally may require employees to be vaccinated as long as accommodations are made for disability or religious objections, as recently described by EEOC. Under federal law, there have been recent challenges under 21 U.S.C. § 360bbb-3, which addresses the... View More

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, certain deductions taken for the benefit of the employer cannot be taken from non-exempt employees' payroll if the deductions reduce the hourly pay below minimum wage. For exempt employees, certain deductions based upon quality or quantity of work performed... View More

Both federal and state law prohibit an employer from retaliating against an employee for objecting to unlawful age discrimination. There a number of factual issues that would need to be addressed before anyone could provide "advice" on this matter.

Generally, your mother would not have a cause of action unless there was an actual law, rule or regulation (as opposed to a non-promulgated guidance) requiring the wearing of masks and the company had a practice of violating it. On the other hand, if she were to join with a group of employees to... View More

The previous response is correct (albeit unnecessarily politically-tainted) that Florida does not recognize a civil cause of action in this scenario. However, Florida Statute § 104.081 makes it a felony for an employer "to discharge or threaten to discharge any employee in his or her service... View More

One option, as correctly noted by the previous poster, would be to quit. Of course, then you are suffering the full brunt of your boss's callous actions, losing your income and possibly the ability to support your family, even though you did nothing wrong.

Another option would be to... View More

Yes. If by "Labor Board" you mean the U.S. Department of Labor, they only have jurisdiction to enforce the federal overtime and minimum wage laws. The state minimum wage in Florida is $8.56 per hour. You could pursue a civil action for the higher state minimum wage amount plus potential... View More

Federal OSHA regulations provide that personal protective equipment (PPE) used to comply with the OSHA law "shall be provided by the employer at no cost to employees." Clothing used in artificially-controlled environments with extreme hot or cold temperatures, such as freezers, generally... View More

Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Fraud may be actionable under the federal False Claims Act. Examples of potential fraud include: (1) an employer applying for a SBA PPP loan, despite not meeting the financial criteria; (2) the employer misrepresenting its payroll numbers to obtain a PPP loan; (3)... View More

The EEOC has opined that employers may require COVID-19 testing for employees if conducted in a non-discriminatory manner. The DOL has opined that time spent by current employees traveling to and from required (non-voluntary) medical tests, waiting for and undergoing these tests is... View More

But see 29 C.F.R. § 785.38 (“[T]ravel from job site to job site during the workday, must be counted as hours worked. Where an employee is required to report at a meeting place to receive instructions or to perform other work there, or to pick up and to carry tools, the travel from the designated... View More

I agree with the previous responses that this may be covered under workers' compensation. In addition, OSHA recommends restaurants use non-skid mats and/or other non-slip floor surfaces in areas that tend to get wet. A complaint could be filed at www.osha.gov.