Boca Raton Employment Lawyer

Boca Raton Employment Lawyer

Both employers and employees must be aware of their rights and obligations as outlined by employment contracts and state and federal law. Disputes arise when parties do not uphold their responsibilities. Employers and employees can benefit from working with an exceptional Boca Raton employment lawyer.

Employers can mitigate risk by ensuring they are compliant with laws and defend their interests against claims. Employees can protect their rights when they are breached, holding employees accountable for their losses.

Representing Employees and Employers With Dedicated Legal Support

The Law Offices of Gary A. Costales, P.A., is an employment law firm in Boca Raton, Florida. Our employment lawyer works closely with individuals who believe they have faced discrimination on the job, were not hired or were passed up for promotions due to discrimination, suffered sexual harassment on the job, were wrongfully terminated, or believe they were not paid the overtime they are entitled to receive. If you are being hired at a new job and are being asked to sign a non-compete agreement, it is important to understand your rights and understand the ways in which a non-compete agreement can limit your rights. Before signing an employment contract, it can sometimes be important to have a Boca Raton employment lawyer review the contract so that you know what your rights are and what you are signing away. If you have signed an employment contract and are now looking for a new job or are looking to start your own business, that contract could have an impact on your rights going forward. Having an employment law firm review the contract before you take next steps in your career can protect you from litigation and can help you understand your rights. The Law Offices of Gary A. Costales, P.A., is an employment law firm in Boca Raton, Florida that can help you with these employment law legal matters. Reach out to our employment lawyer today.

Employment and Overtime Lawyer in Boca Raton, Florida

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, under the Fair Labor Standards Act, employees who work more than 40 hours in a given workweek are entitled to receive time and a half overtime pay. Certain workers are exempt from receiving overtime pay. Unfortunately, some employers use this to misclassify employees as exempt from overtime pay when they are not.

While Florida doesn’t have specific overtime pay laws, the Fair Labor Standards Act applies. Even if you are a salaried worker, you may be entitled to receive time and a half for overtime you work. Your weekly salary would be calculated, divided by a 40-hour workweek, and that would be considered your hourly rate of pay. Any time you work more than a 40-hour workweek would need to be compensated at time and a half this rate.

Sometimes employees try to use alternative calculation methods such as paying a daily rate, a per piece rate, or by claiming that a salaried rate doesn’t require overtime pay. While some employees are exempt from overtime pay, most workers are entitled to overtime pay for every extra hour of work they put in beyond a 40-hour workweek. If you are paid by the day and routinely put in longer than 40-hour workweeks, you might be entitled to receive money for unpaid overtime.

Employers can avoid costly claims for unpaid overtime by ensuring that employees are properly calculated and that their hours and being accounted for. Working with an employment lawyer can help employers minimize this risk by ensuring compliance. If a claim is made, your employment attorney can work to resolve it quickly and fairly, lowering the effect on an employer’s finances and reputation.

Do you have questions about whether you might be owed overtime pay? Some workers have looked into their overtime rights only to learn that they were owed thousands and sometimes tens of thousands of dollars by their employer. If you have questions about whether you are entitled to back pay or unpaid overtime compensation, reach out to the Law Offices of Gary A. Costales, P.A., an overtime law firm in Boca Raton, Florida.

Employment Contract Lawyer in Boca Raton, Florida

If you’ve been hired, congratulations! However, before you sign on the dotted line, you might want to take the time to review your employment contract with an employment contract lawyer. An employment contract lawyer helps you understand all elements of the contract, including your rights and obligations and can ensure you don’t agree to anything unfair.

Some employment contracts include special clauses like nondisclosure agreements and non-compete agreements that can impact your rights and your ability to work in your field in the future. Non-compete agreements must be reasonable, however, and cannot prevent you from ever working in the industry. An attorney understands the limitations of these agreements. Even if you have already signed such an agreement, your attorney can determine if it is enforceable.

If you have questions about whether a non-compete agreement or non-disclosure agreement in your contract could potentially impact your rights, or have questions about your rights given the employment contract you signed, you may want to speak to the employment contract attorney in Boca Raton Florida at the Law Offices of Gary A. Costales, P.A., We can help you understand your rights.

Sometimes workers have signed a non-compete agreement and want to pursue work in another field. And sometimes workers who have signed a non-compete agreement may even want to start their own business. But if you signed a non-compete agreement or non-disclosure agreement, this could impact your ability to take certain jobs or your ability to pursue your own business dreams. Before taking steps that could lead to litigation, consider speaking to the employment contract law firm in Boca Raton, Florida at the Law Offices of Gary A. Costales, P.A., today.

Employment contract lawyers can also help employers draft employment contracts, including non-disclosure and non-compete clauses. By working with legal support, you can create an employment contract that does what you need it to do and is fair and enforceable. If disputes do arise from the employment contract, an attorney can help protect your interests.

Discrimination Lawyer in Boca Raton, Florida

Discrimination in the workplace is illegal. Discrimination occurs when an employer takes an adverse employment action against an employee on the basis of their protected characteristics. Adverse employment actions can occur during the hiring process or during an employee’s employment. Protected characteristics are sex/gender, race, age, disability, national origin, pregnancy, marital status, and genetic information.

Discrimination during employment can include demotion, not being promoted, reassignment, harassment, or wrongful termination.

When there is discrimination in the workplace, employers must take action to prevent it. In some cases, employees must go through the company’s HR process before filing a complaint with a governmental agency.

When an employer is informed of this issue, they must take reasonable action to prevent discrimination. If they fail to do so, they can be subject to a claim. Working with a lawyer can help employers address discrimination in the workplace and navigate claims if they are made.

An employee who loses material benefits due to discrimination can file a complaint and a claim to recover those damages. An experienced attorney can support employees in protecting their rights by gathering information and evidence to create a strong complaint. The Law Offices of Gary A. Costales, P.A., can determine if an employee has a claim for discrimination and fight for an employee’s rights.

Sexual Harassment Lawyer in Boca Raton, Florida

Employees also have a right to a workplace that is free of sexual harassment. Employers have a responsibility to address and prevent this behavior. There are two types of sexual harassment in the workplace: hostile work environments and quid pro quo sexual harassment.

A hostile work environment includes unwanted advances, verbal abuse, and physical touching by coworkers, which create a pervasively hostile workplace. Quid pro quo sexual harassment is committed by an employer or coworker with the power of an employee’s job and includes requests for sexual favors in exchange for positive employment action or at the threat of negative employment action.

Employees can file a complaint for instances of quid pro quo harassment or if a hostile work environment is not addressed by their employer. Employers that take action to address these issues preemptively can mitigate the consequences of a legal claim. The experienced team at the Law Offices of Gary A. Costales, P.A. can aid employers and employees in these claims.

Whistleblower and Qui Tam Claim Lawyer in Boca Raton, Florida

Whistleblower and qui tam cases happen when an employee reports illegal or fraudulent behavior in their workplace. If an employer retaliates against an employee who acts in good faith, this can lead to a whistleblower retaliation claim. The Law Offices of Gary A. Costales, P.A., provides exceptional representation to employers and employees in whistleblower and retaliation claims.

FAQs

Protecting Your Employment Rights in Boca Raton, Florida

Employees have important employment rights. For example, you have the right to work in an environment that is free of hostility and discrimination. If you believe you have been sexually harassed on the job, or are working in a hostile work environment, or believe you have suffered from employment discrimination, you may have the right to seek damages, especially if the sexual harassment or discrimination resulted in the loss of your job, resulted in you leaving your job, or caused setbacks in your career. The Law Offices of Gary A. Costales, P.A., is an employment law firm in Boca Raton, Florida that fights for the rights of workers. If you believe you were wrongfully terminated or wrongfully passed up for promotions for discriminatory reasons, you may have the right to seek justice and compensation for your losses.

The Law Offices of Gary A. Costales, P.A., and its Boca Raton employment attorneys represent and fight for workers’ rights. If you have lost income due to discriminatory practices, failure of your employer to pay overtime, or due to another issue, you may have the right to seek damages. Contact our employment attorney in Boca Raton, Florida today.