Wage-and-hour lawsuits in Orlando and greater Central Florida have exploded in the past decade. The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, headquartered in Orlando, is now second in the nation for the number of wage and hour lawsuits filed, while Florida’s Southern District, based in Miami, is first in the nation. In the first six months of 2007, more than 500 wage and hour cases were filed in the Middle District, up from 50 suits filed in the entire year of 1997.*
As employees become increasingly aware of and willing to assert their rights, Central Florida’s aggressive job market and abundance of service jobs combine to create an atmosphere ripe for labor and employment legal claims. And because the burden of proof in such cases lies with the employer, it is more critical than ever for companies to develop a proactive approach to managing wage and hour issues.
The informal, interactive discussion was led by Foley Labor & Employment Partner John S. (Jack) Lord, Jr. and Christi R. Adams, an associate in the firm’s Litigation Department and Labor & Employment Practice. They provided an update on recent revisions to federal labor and employment laws. Additional topics addressed included:
- Revised Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) regulations
- Compensation issues
- Individual liability
- Using wage and hour audits to address potential problems proactively
This course has been approved for 1.50 recertification credit hours toward Professional in Human Resources (PHR,®), Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR™), and Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR™) certification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI®).
*Wessel, Harry. “Orlando is hotbed for workplace law.” Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2007.
