Fri, 11/06/2020
On Tuesday, Floridians voted to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour by September 30, 2026. The increases will be made incrementally until that date, first to $10 per hour in September 2021, and then increasing by $1 each subsequent year. Proponents of the measure estimate that it will increase wages for 2.5 million families in the state, and the Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research estimated in June that it will increase wages by $540 million for state and local government employees by 2027.
Florida is the seventh state, including Maryland, California, and New York, to adopt a $15 per hour minimum wage. Multiple major cities have also raised their municipal minimum wage to $15 per hour. Currently, Florida’s minimum wage is $8.56 per hour, more than $1 per hour higher than the federal minimum wage of $7.25, which has not increased since 2009.
Unlike in most states, the right to be paid the minimum wage and to be free from retaliation for exercising that right are enshrined in Florida’s state constitution, which also authorizes workers to file civil actions—including class actions—against their employers to recover unpaid wages as well as liquidated damages in an amount equal to the unpaid wages. The changes approved by voters earlier this week will have a significant and positive impact on workers across Florida for years to come.
If you believe your employer failed to pay minimum wage, or overtime pay, contact MSE at info@mselaborlaw.com.
