labor lawAdivision of labor law center

The Sunshine State is a mecca for the tourists looking for a fabulous summer vacation.  All those tourists bring with them the need for many business owners to beef up their workforce.  When hiring any new workers, for the tourist trade or just because, business owners need to remember that Florida’s minimum wage was raised at the beginning of the year.

Effective January 1, 2007, the Florida minimum wage pay rate was increased to $6.67 per hour, up $.27 per hour from the previous rate.  The minimum wage increase was voted into law in November 2004.  All workers in Florida covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which establishes the federal minimum wage, are covered under the state’s minimum wage amendment.

The Florida minimum wage amount is established by the Agency for Workforce Innovation.  This agency is constitutionally bound to perform annual calculations to establish a new rate each year.  Each year, the agency is required by law to publish the new rates.

All workers in the state are covered under the Florida minimum wage law, which makes it unlawful to pay wages below this legally established rate.  Workers classified as “tipped employees” are covered under this law and a tip credit established in 2003 describes how to determine the rate of pay for these employees.  Special calculations are available to determine the correct hourly wage to pay these workers.

The current Florida minimum wage law reflects a 4.2 percent change to the federal consumer price index for clerical workers and urban wage earners in the South Region.  The consumer price index is calculated using data for the 12-month period ending on September 1, 2006.

The new Florida minimum wage is $1.52 more than the federal rate.

Any employee not being paid the new rate of $6.67 per hour is allowed by law to bring legal action against an employer in violation of this act.  The state’s attorney general is also empowered to bring enforcement action against any business owner in violation.

All employers in Florida are required by law to display a poster in the workplace that clearly describes the minimum wage law and the new rate.  Under FLSA regulations, all employers are required to display a second, similar, poster featuring details pertaining to the federal minimum wage act.

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1. Posted by: Florida Minimum Wage Goes to $6.79 on January 1, 2008 - Labor Law Center Blog

   [...] In 2007, the Florida minimum wage increased by 27 cents from $6.40 to $6.67 per hour. [...]

2. Posted by: Florida Minimum Wage Now $6.79 - Labor Law Center Blog

   [...] The most recent change before January 1, 2008 was a statutory increase, taking the state rate from $6.40 to $6.67 in 2007, the Florida minimum wage increased by 27 cents [...]