Uncategorized

In previous decades, stock options in Florida were mostly given out to executives and others at the top of the corporate ladder. These were a way for high-level employees to be compensated by running the company well and helping the overall value to increase. These days, however, things have shifted so that some companies are using stock options as employee compensation, even for entry-level employees.

In fact, the National Center for Employee Ownership ran the numbers for 2010 and found that around 36 percent of employees had stock in the companies that they worked for, using various plans to obtain it. This was for publicly traded companies.

This tactic is used at all types of companies, but it is especially useful, in many cases, for start-up companies. These start-ups typically do not have that much cash on hand, so they can’t offer high wages. However, they have a lot of work that needs to be done if the company is going to grow.

Offering stock options means they do not lose any cash immediately, but workers still feel like they are being compensated well beyond their hourly rate. If the company blows up and sees dramatic growth, this can be a way for employees to make way more than their base salaries, but there is no risk to the employers. Those employers may “lose” money down the line, but they’re still gaining overall since the company would never have seen that growth without dedicated employees.

When signing a contract, be sure that you know exactly how you’ll be compensated for your time, considering wages, stock options, benefits and more.

Source: CNN Money, “How to handle employee stock options,” accessed June 04, 2015

Sexual harassment happens in many industries in Florida, from bars and restaurants to fields for farming. However, much of it goes unreported year in and year out, despite the fact that people have very real cases against their employers. One of the main reasons that this happens is simple: These workers are afraid that they’re going to lose their jobs if they talk about what is happening or try to file a report.

How many cases are there? Florida International University just teamed up with a group known as We Count!, and they did a study to find out if people would report harassment to them more honestly than they did to the authorities. What they found was that a full 24 percent of those asked said they had been assaulted at some time.

This survey was targeted at the farming industry. The goal was to determine how many migrant workers were being assaulted, as this has traditionally been a group that fails to report on a consistent basis. Part of the problem is that some of the workers are not legally in the United States, so the concerns for them are even larger; not only could they lose their jobs, but they could be deported.

Leaders in this study said that assaults would happen in many places, from the fields where crops were being harvested to the packing houses where they were brought. Women tended to be the targets, the study found, with 25 percent of them reporting abuse.

Do you want to find out more about your rights after you’ve been sexually harassed, or would you like to learn how to file a report? If so, please take a look at our site to get your answers.

Being terminated from a job is a difficult position for anyone to be in. When that termination is one that you consider a wrongful termination or one that meets the requirements for a wrongful termination, the effect can be even more devastating. Former Florida A&M coach Clemon Johnson has recently filed a lawsuit against the university to take a stand against what he calls a wrongful termination.

Johnson’s annual salary while coaching was $150,000. He was terminated after three years of a four-year contract. The issue in this case isn’t that he got let go. Instead, the issue is that his contract wasn’t paid. His lawsuit claims that the university breached the contract, breached good faith and fair dealing, was a fraud and was a negligent misrepresentation.

This isn’t the first time that the university has found itself in this position. In fact, in January, another former coach filed a similar lawsuit. Earl Holmes alleges that the university failed to pay him $400,000 over two years that he was due per his contract. He is also suing for other damages.

In Johnson’s case, his attorney says that Johnson knows you can get cut. Johnson was let go after a 14-18 record season. His termination in April of last year came only a week after a new athletic director was introduced. That director resigned in December of last year.

Contracts are meant to protect employees and employers, When an employer doesn’t uphold contract terms, employees should work to understand their rights pertaining to the contract dispute. This can help them to decide how they want to handle the situation.

Source: Tallahassee Democrat, “Former FAMU basketball coach Johnson sues university,” Jordan Culver, May. 14, 2015

Sexual harassment in the workplace is illegal because of the Civil Rights Act that was passed back in 1964. Despite this, it still persists each and every year.

In fact, it sometimes goes unreported simply because people don’t know exactly what they should be looking for. It’s very important for employees to know what violates the Act and what they can do about it. Below are a few examples of sexual harassment, some more obvious than others:

– Sexual advances from a coworker or boss that are unwanted- Requests, especially from a supervisor, for various sexual favors- Sexual jokes and comments, even without physical contact- Any type of unwanted sexual contact- Sexual advances or conduct that make a workplace unsafe or hostile- The exposure of sexually explicit pictures or other materials- Demotion or termination based on a rejection of any sexual advancements or requests- And much more

As noted, some of these things are very clearly harassment, such as physical sexual contact that is inappropriate and unwanted. However, other things can fall into more of a gray area, such as sexual jokes that may be made at someone’s expense. Employees may be offended, but they may not know if an offhand comment or a joke is enough for them to take action in Florida.

Employees need to know that things like this can also constitute harassment, even if the other employees or supervisors claim the comments and jokes were made innocently, and there are legal steps that they can take if they feel they are being harassed.

Source: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, “Facts About Sexual Harassment,” accessed May. 15, 2015

An employee who works for the Collier County Sheriff’s Office has now started a lawsuit against that agency. The man is Jewish, and he says that he was not allowed to observe his religion as he desires and that he was discriminated against by the office.

The lawsuit involves a number of different claims. First of all, the man says he actually got demoted based on the fact that he wanted some concessions made for his faith. He used to work with the Gang Unit, but he says that the office gave him a demotion, making him a technician at the jail.

Additionally, he says that the sheriff’s office would not let him wear his full beard and told him he had to shave it, and they wouldn’t let him properly cover his head, saying he could not wear his yarmulke. Since he is part of the Hasidic Jewish faith, both of these things are crucial parts of the way he is supposed to conduct himself.

Finally, he says that he was subjected to discrimination and harassment in the workplace itself. He claims that someone said he was just a “weird, hairy little Jewish man.” He also said that someone got an Iron Cross flag, which was used in Nazi Germany, and hung it up close to his cubicle as a way of taunting him.

Workplace discrimination comes in many different forms, and this case touches on three different types all at once. If you have been discriminated against in Florida, it’s important to know your rights so that you don’t let it continue uncontested.

Source: News-Press.com, “Jewish worker’s suit in Collier alleges religious bias,” Steve Doane, April. 28, 2015

Many employees today do not stay at one job for all of their working years as many in previous generations did. Changing jobs and career paths is common today and with that dynamic comes a need for employers to safeguard their trade secrets and other valuable assets. With competition in most industries so intense, employers are now making use of noncompete agreements. Are these agreements enforceable?

A noncompete agreement is a contract an employer and an employee enter into when the employee is hired. To have an enforceable noncompete agreement, there are some questions that should be carefully considered by the employer.

— Which employees need a noncompete agreement? The employees that need to sign a noncompete agreement are those that are privy to your company’s trade secrets and other important information. An employer needs to have valid reasons for requiring an employee to sign this agreement. There also needs to be something beneficial for the employee in the agreement, which is that the employee is getting a job.

— Is the noncompete agreement too harsh or restricting? If it is, then if the employee decides to take it to court, it could be struck down. If your trade secrets will still be the basis of your business several years from now, then you may have a valid reason for making an stricter agreement.

— What market is the business in? If the company only has local customers, then it’s going to be difficult to convince a judge that the employee shouldn’t work in another state.

Being reasonable is important when you are drafting a noncompete agreement. The courts often rule for employees — after all, a company can usually handle a blow like this better than an employee could.

An attorney can review noncompete agreements for both employers and employees to determine if they are fair and within the law. This can often prevent problems after the employee leaves the company.

Source: FindLaw, “Creating an Enforceable Noncompete Agreement,” accessed May. 08, 2015