Florida Worker Rights
Florida has a constitutional minimum wage above the federal rate and strict workers’ comp rules for construction, but few other state-level protections.
- Florida
Pay
- Minimum wage: set by the Florida Constitution and raised in steps each September 30, reaching $15.00 per hour on September 30, 2026. After that it adjusts each year for inflation.
- Overtime: federal rules (1.5x over 40 hours a week).
- Florida has no state agency that handles general wage claims. Workers can file with the U.S. DOL Wage and Hour Division, or bring a claim in court (the Florida Minimum Wage Act requires written notice to the employer first).
- Florida has no statewide prevailing wage law for state-funded projects. Davis-Bacon still applies on federally funded work.
Workers’ compensation
- Construction employers with one or more employees must carry workers’ comp (non-construction employers generally at 4+).
- Corporate officers in construction can be exempt only with a state exemption certificate.
- Report injuries to your employer within 30 days.
Other Florida rules
- E-Verify: private employers with 25 or more employees must verify new hires through E-Verify.
- Heat: Florida has no state heat illness rule, and a 2024 law bars cities and counties from adopting their own heat protection requirements. Federal OSHA’s expectations still apply. See Heat Illness Prevention.
- No state paid sick leave law, and local governments can’t require it.
- No state OSHA plan; federal OSHA covers private employers.
Standards & references
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