Florida Employment Lawyer

Florida workers deal with some of the toughest employment conditions in the country. The state has limited worker protections, at-will employment, and employers who often assume they can get away with cutting corners. Employees are sometimes fired for speaking up, denied wages they earned, pushed out after medical leave, or ignored when they report harassment — and most have no idea what their rights actually are.

If something isn’t right at work, you don’t need to guess whether you have a case. Levin Litigation tells it like it is. We represent Florida employees who were mistreated, underpaid, retaliated against, or pushed out illegally. We cut through the excuses employers use and give you a clear understanding of where you stand. And if your employer or their insurance company is already playing games, call us before they bury you in paperwork or deadlines.

What Employment Laws Protect Workers in Florida?

Florida is an at-will employment state, which means employers can fire workers for almost any reason — but not for illegal reasons. Too many Florida employers hide behind the phrase “at-will” to excuse discrimination, retaliation, or wage theft, hoping employees simply won’t challenge it.

Florida employment laws are complicated, and most workers don’t realize how many protections they actually have under both state and federal labor and employment law:

• Florida Civil Rights Act (FCRA): Prohibits discrimination and harassment based on race, sex, pregnancy, national origin, religion, disability, age, and more.
• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964: Federal anti-discrimination law that also applies to Florida workplaces.
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): Protects workers with disabilities and requires reasonable accommodations.
• Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA): Gives qualifying employees up to 12 weeks of protected leave for medical or family reasons.
• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Governs minimum wage, overtime, and classifications.
• Florida Minimum Wage Act: Sets Florida’s wage floor and increases it annually until it reaches $15/hour.
• Florida’s “Whistleblower’s Act”: Protects employees who report illegal actions by their employer.

Wage and Hour Violations in Florida

Wage theft is widespread in Florida, from restaurants to construction, healthcare, retail, logistics, hospitality, and professional services. A recent report by the South Florida AFL-CIO claimed that “Florida ranks 4th in the nation for wage theft and leads all large states in violations related to minimum wage laws”. Employers here often assume workers don’t know the rules or won’t challenge them.

Wage and hour violations are some of the most common Florida employment claims, and our labor and employment lawyers see them across every industry. Rely on us to help you with: 

• Unpaid overtime (“We don’t pay OT here” is illegal.)
• Misclassifying employees as independent contractors
• Forcing employees to work off the clock
• Withholding tips or forcing tip pooling in violation of FLSA
• Paying flat day rates that ignore overtime laws
• Denying breaks but requiring constant “on-call” availability
• Not paying the correct minimum wage under Florida law

Florida’s minimum wage increases every year. Employers who ignore these increases often count on workers not checking their pay stubs.

If your pay seems off, it’s worth having an attorney look at it. Wage cases add up fast, and employers owe not only the unpaid wages but also liquidated damages and attorney’s fees in many situations.

Does Florida Have Wrongful Termination?

Florida doesn’t have a general “wrongful termination” statute, but that doesn’t mean employers can fire people without consequences. A firing becomes illegal when the real reason violates state or federal law.

Examples include firing someone for:

• Reporting discrimination or harassment
• Reporting unpaid wages
• Requesting or taking FMLA leave
• Asking for a disability accommodation
• Reporting safety issues
• Participating in an investigation
• Filing a workers’ compensation claim
• Refusing to do something illegal

Retaliation is one of the most common workplace violations in Florida. Employers rarely say, “We’re firing you because you complained.” Instead, they create a paper trail of sudden performance issues or “restructuring.”

An employment lawyer sees through that fast. Levin Litigation knows how Florida employers cover their tracks, and how to prove what really happened.

Workplace Discrimination and Harassment Claims in Florida

Discrimination and harassment cases in Florida often begin with subtle retaliation, sudden schedule changes, or comments your employer later pretends were jokes — but under Florida employment law, these patterns matter. Both federal law and the Florida Civil Rights Act protect workers from discrimination and harassment based on:

• Race
• Sex and pregnancy
• National origin
• Religion
• Disability
• Age
• Genetic information
• Marital status (Florida-specific protection)

Common illegal conduct includes:

• Sexual harassment
• Offensive comments or slurs
• Denying promotions or pay raises based on protected characteristics
• Cutting hours after a worker reports harassment
• Refusing to accommodate disabilities
• Forcing pregnant workers into unpaid leave they didn’t ask for

The moment an employer becomes aware of harassment, they are legally required to act. Many don’t, or worse, they punish the person who spoke up. You don’t need to tolerate it. Levin Litigation helps employees build strong records, meet EEOC or FCHR deadlines, and take action when employers refuse to follow the law.

Medical Leave, Sick Leave, and FMLA Violations in Florida

Florida has no paid sick leave law and no state-level job-protected leave, which makes FMLA violations even more damaging for workers here.

Employers violate FMLA all the time by:

• Denying valid leave requests
• Misclassifying employees to avoid eligibility
• Refusing to restore the employee to the same or equivalent position
• Retaliating after the worker returns
• Demanding medical documentation they aren’t entitled to

FMLA protections apply to serious health conditions, childbirth, adoption, and care for certain family members. When leave is denied illegally, workers have strong legal claims, often with reinstatement and financial damages. Our Florida labor & employment attorneys frequently handle FMLA and medical-leave cases involving denied requests, retaliation after leave, or employers refusing to reinstate workers.

Florida Whistleblower & Employer Misconduct Claims 

Florida has some of the least protective employment laws in the country, which means workers often take the biggest risks when they speak up. Even so, the law does offer real protection when an employee reports illegal behavior,  and employers in Florida often cross the line trying to silence those workers.

Florida’s whistleblower laws fall into two categories:

Florida’s Private Whistleblower Act (Fla. Stat. § 448.102)

Protects employees who report:

• Violations of Florida statutes
• Activities that threaten public safety
• Illegal practices, including wage theft and fraud

To qualify, employees often must report internally first, which is where employers start retaliating. They write someone up, cut hours, rearrange schedules, or push them out quietly. 

Florida’s Public-Sector Whistleblower Act

Applies to government employees reporting:

• Misuse of public funds
• Safety violations
• Abuse of authority
• Violations of local, state, or federal regulations

Government employers usually don’t admit retaliation — they bury it in “policy changes” or “restructuring.” A Florida employment lawyer from Levin Litigation knows how to uncover the real motive.

Why Florida Whistleblower Cases Are Difficult

Florida whistleblower claims are among the most misunderstood areas of labor and employment law, and employers use that confusion to their advantage. For example, Florida law puts strict notice requirements and tight filing deadlines on whistleblower claims. 

Deadlines Matter in Florida Employment Cases

Florida has some of the strictest and most unforgiving deadlines in employment law. Missing a single deadline can erase your entire case, no matter how strong the evidence is. Employers and their lawyers know this — which is why they often stall, delay responses, or feed workers bad information about when and how to file.

Here are the deadlines that matter most in Florida:

• EEOC Charges (180 or 300 Days): Most discrimination and harassment claims must be filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) within 180 days of the unlawful act. If the claim is also covered by the Florida Civil Rights Act (FCRA), which includes most major categories like race, sex, disability, pregnancy, and religion, the deadline extends to 300 days. Miss this window, and you usually lose your federal discrimination claim entirely.
• FCHR Filings (365 Days): The Florida Commission on Human Relations gives workers one year to file under the Florida Civil Rights Act. Florida’s process interacts with the EEOC, but there are strategic reasons to choose one route over the other. A lawyer can help you choose the path that protects your rights and preserves the option to sue.
• FLSA Wage Claims (2 or 3 Years): Claims for unpaid wages, overtime, or minimum wage violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act carry a 2-year statute of limitations, or 3 years if the employer’s violation was willful, which in Florida, it often is. Workers don’t often know that wage claims expire week by week, not all at once, so every pay period you wait is money lost.
• Florida Minimum Wage Act (4 Years): Florida’s state minimum wage claims allow workers 4 years (or 5 years for willful violations). This is different from federal wage claims and can be used strategically to recover more money.
• Florida Private Whistleblower Act (Strict Notice Requirements): Under Fla. Stat. § 448.102, employees must give the employer written notice and an opportunity to correct the violation before filing a lawsuit. Miss that step, and your case may be dismissed even if the retaliation was obvious.
  • There is also a short statute of limitations for whistleblower cases. The timelines vary based on whether the employer is public or private, but acting quickly is critical.
• Retaliation Claims: Retaliation laws don’t all share the same deadline. Depending on the underlying violation, you may be dealing with EEOC deadlines, OSHA deadlines, whistleblower deadlines, or wage claim deadlines. Many workers assume “retaliation” has a single rule — it doesn’t.

Why Employers Stall… and Why You Shouldn’t Wait

Employers often drag their feet on internal investigations, delay HR responses, or “look into” your complaint for weeks. They know that every day you wait brings you closer to losing your right to file. If you’re searching for a Florida employment lawyer because you’re worried about a deadline, call before the clock becomes a problem; these timelines move fast.

How Our Florida Employment Lawyers Help You

Most Florida workers wait too long to call a lawyer because they want to handle things the “right” way by talking to HR. But HR works for the company. A Florida employment lawyer from our team steps in to protect your rights before the employer starts rewriting the story.

Levin Litigation helps workers across Florida by:

• Listening first and giving you the truth, not a sales pitch. We tell you whether you have a case, what it’s worth, and what your next move should be.
• Explaining Florida and federal employment laws in plain English. No jargon, no legal fog — just clarity so you know where you stand.
• Preserving evidence employers hope you won’t keep. Emails, schedules, time records, performance reviews, surveillance footage: these disappear fast once a dispute begins. We move quickly before the employer does.
• Calculating unpaid wages, retaliation damages, and penalties under Florida law. Wage claims in Florida involve both state and federal statutes, and workers often underestimate what they’re owed.
• Preparing and filing EEOC or FCHR complaints on time. Florida’s dual-agency system is confusing. We choose the path that protects your right to sue.
• Negotiating fair severance packages when employers try to push you out. Florida employers often offer lowball severance and pressure workers to sign away their rights. We stop that from happening.
• Intervening when retaliation starts. Cutting hours, sudden write-ups, schedule changes: we document retaliation in real time and make employers regret trying it.
• Filing lawsuits when employers refuse to follow the law. Our attorneys have taken on national corporations, local businesses, government employers, and everything in between. We know how these cases are fought, and we’re not afraid to take them to court.

Most workers wait too long to call a lawyer because they assume HR will “handle it.” If something feels off, you need someone who works for you, not the company. Levin Litigation is here and ready to step up on your behalf. Our Florida employment attorneys handle cases statewide, including wage disputes, retaliation claims, discrimination, harassment, and whistleblower actions.

Contact a Florida Employment Lawyer Who Tells It Like It Is

If you’re dealing with discrimination, retaliation, unpaid wages, harassment, or a firing that doesn’t feel right, trust your instincts. Employers rarely admit wrongdoing, and waiting only gives them more time to build their defense.

Levin Litigation doesn’t make empty promises. We give honest answers, a clear plan, and real support throughout the process. Many of our attorneys used to work for insurance companies and large employers — we know exactly how these cases are fought, and we know how to win them.

If you’re ready for real answers and a team that takes your case seriously, contact Levin Litigation for a consultation.