In a boring job, every day can seem like you’re working longer and longer, even though you’re clocking in the same number of hours. When your shift is done, the only thing you want is to go home, relax and spend time with your family. Fortunately, employers are limited to employing just 40 hours a week if they don’t want to trigger “overtime laws.”
Overtime allows for workers to benefit when they are asked to contribute to their jobs more than 40 hours in a single week. In fact, employers have to pay their workers more money in these circumstances, and this could serve to motivate workers to put in the extra time.
Sadly, a lot of employers try not to educate their employees about the rules pertaining to overtime, or they flat-out try to avoid paying it. Here’s what you need to know about Florida overtime laws if you’ve been asked to put in additional hours at your job:
- Overtime pay for Florida workers is the hourly pay, plus half this amount, for every hour worked in excess of 40. If a worker receives a weekly or monthly salary, the worker can calculate his or her hourly wage for these purposes by dividing the weekly salary by 40. Employees can also calculate their bonuses and commissions when adding up their hourly incomes.
- The state of Florida doesn’t have its own overtime rules. It defers to the federal overtime rules under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
- There are a few employees — including those in supervisory positions — who are not entitled to overtime. However, some employers will label a regular employee a “supervisor” (without giving them any substantial management duties) in order to skirt overtime laws. This isn’t legal.
If you’re suffering from unpaid overtime at work, reach out to an employment law attorney at our law firm for a complete evaluation of your legal rights.
