Statewide & Regional Projects

Region III Employment Law Project

Training Materials

In August 2003 Florida Legal Services presented a general overview of employment law covering the basics of the Florida Minimum Wage Law as they relate to nonstandard work and immigrant workers.

To view the Power Point presentations click on the following topics:

Employment Rights Overview

Nonstandard Work and Immigrant Workers

Fair Labor Standards Act

The Florida Minimum Wage

To view the report click on title: Florida's Unemployment Insurance System Misses the Mark

Florida's Unemployment Insurance (UI) system is not meeting its most basic goal of helping laid-off workers, according to a research report released by the Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR) and the National Employment Law project (NELP).

The study, Florida's Unemployment Insurance System: Barriers to Program Adequacy for Women, Low-Wage and Part-Time Workers, and Workers of Color, finds that the Florida UI system has also failed to function as an economic stabilizer for the state during the economic downturn.

Florida has the third lowest UI recipiency rate in the country, with only 33 percent of its unemployed able to access unemployment insurance benefits. The national average is 44 percent. "UI was designed to counter economic declines by keeping money circulating in local economies," noted report co-author Vicky Lovell, Study Director at IWPR. "With only a third of unemployed Floridians getting any UI benefits, the program is clearly not doing its job."

For women, part-time workers, workers of color, and low-wage workers, UI recipiency rates are much lower in Florida than they are in the nation as a whole. For example, the recipiency rates for women and Hispanic workers in Florida are only about 70 percent of the national recipiency rates for those workers. Blacks are also less likely than whites in Florida to receive UI benefits. Florida Senator Debbie Wasserman Schultz was struck by the inadequacy of Florida's UI program. "More and more families find themselves without one or more wage earners," she pointed out. "As their elected Representatives, it is our moral obligation to help Florida's employees stay off welfare and stay as self-sufficient as possible." IWPR analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau's Survey of Income and Program Participation documents the high level of work activity of unemployed workers who don't qualify for UI benefits. Florida workers who most recently worked full-time but did not receive any UI benefits averaged 39 hours of work a week and 44 weeks of work per year.

Region III Employment Law Project

Materials for Clients

The following fact sheets are formatted in Microsoft Word:

Were You Turned Down for Unemployment Benefits?

Getting Unemployment Benefits and Keeping Them


Unemployment Benefits for Unemployed Workers

Worker's Right to be Paid: Wage and labor laws protect the rights of all workers to be paid for their work. These laws apply to both documented and undocumented workers. This fact sheet provides an overall worker's right to be paid under the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Florida Minimum Wage Act. (August 2006) (En Èspañol)

Protecting Your Right to be Paid: Keeping good record of the time you worked and who you worked for is very important if you want to enforce your right to be paid for all your work. This fact sheet provides tips and a sample record-keeping form for workers. (August 2006) (En Èspañol)

Labor Pool Workers: Are your rights being violated? Florida law provides special protections for workers who are employed through labor pools. This fact sheet explains workers' rights under the Florida Labor Pool Act. (August 2006) (En Èspañol)

Taking Time Off Your Job for Health or Family Reasons: This fact sheet explains workers' rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act. (August 2006)