Legal Question in Employment Law in Florida

Reducing wages.

Company reduced hourly wages and inserted a bonus program. The end result was a way to control wages paid. The bonus program required goals virtually impossible to reach. Employees were spread out and some employees had hours reduced so it was impossible to make the wages they previously were paid. The previous hourly wage was a result of many years eployment. All employees were scaled back to the same rate. There was no previous notification to the employees before this took effect. Is this a legal manouver by the Company to make more money at the expense of its employees. This Company was aquired from the previous owner one year ago. At that time all present employees were retained and continued with their previous hourly wage. Its seems to me that once they did that and all the employees became part of the new ownership, the Owners assumed all the rated as in place. Their position is that they can do anything because they are a private Company. They are also registered to do business in Florida and as such should come under the Federal and Florida Labor laws.


Asked on 10/13/06, 4:26 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Keith Stern Shavitz Law Group

Re: Reducing wages.

An employer is required only to pay the minimum wage under Federal law, $5.15/hour, and the minimum wage under Florida law, $6.40/hour. Outside of these obligations, there is no "minimum" such that an employer may legally reduce wages from prior levels. Additionally, remember that overtime (typcially time and a half) is required to be paid for all hours worked in excess of Forty (40) per week.

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Answered on 10/14/06, 1:39 pm


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