If you have been employed but do not have a contract, you are considered to be employed at-will. Your employer may terminate you for a legal reason at any future date. You may not be terminated for becoming pregnant or disabled or for having a pre-existing disability. Your employer may not fire you in discrimination against your sex, age, race, nationality, or religious beliefs.
Be advised that Florida has very stringent requirements before you can overcome at-will status.
No interviewer should ask you if you have been arrested or inquire about your marital or parental status. An interviewer should not ask about your sexual preference or about your birthplace. In addition, these factors should not influence your employer's decisions regarding payments, promotions, job assignments, or terminations. If you believe your employer has shown discrimination against you, seek the advice of a licensed lawyer to find out if you have legal recourse against the employer.
If you have been hurt on the job in Florida, workers compensation laws provide for you to receive compensation in many cases. The amount you can legally receive will depend on the severity of your injury and the length of time during which your ability to work is affected.
A permanent total disability occurs when a person is injured in such a way that they will not ever be able to work to their previous ability or gain their regular wages again. In this case, you are entitled to 66 2/3% of the average amount you would have received each week.
A temporary total disability means that a person is unable to work at all for a limited time, but will be able to work again in the future. If this has happened to you, the compensation will be 66 2/3% of the average weekly amount. There is a time limit of 104 weeks during which you may collect this compensation.
A permanent impairment allows you to collect up to 75% of the average amount you would have made each week. These benefits will go down by 50% for each week in which you are able to earn an amount that is the same as or greater than your pre-impairment average.
These laws help the individual employee cope after an injury and it is vital to know about them. Our examples represent only several of the workers' compensation laws specific to Florida.
Every state must abide by federal regulations intended to make workplaces safe for employees. If you believe your workplace poses hazards for serious injury or death, you can often complain without revealing your identity.
Florida no longer has a Division of Safety due to the repealing of the Occupational Health and Safety Act. This act was repealed on June 30, 2000.