Unpaid Wages of Resident Motel Managers

Unpaid Wages of Resident Motel Managers

Innkeepers, motel managers, hotel managers, recreational vehicle (RV) campground managers, “work campers,” and property managers who live on the property they also manage frequently are paid less than the minimum wage and denied overtime pay.  Motel, hotel, and RV campground owners often employ individuals or couples to manage small properties and provide a “free” room or “lot rent.”  Often, however, the free lodging benefits the owner, allowing the owner to have an employee on call onsite, a is not primarily provided for the…

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Survey Says Floridians Want a Higher Minimum Wage

  A recent survey of Floridians by Credit Loan indicates that Floridians believe the ideal minimum wage would be $11.99. That’s $3.74 higher than the current Florida 2018 minimum wage of $8.25.  More than 2,600 Americans were surveyed and the finding were weighted against 2016 U.S. Census data. Florida’s minimum wage increased $0.15 in 2018 compared to the $8.10 minimum wage for 2017.  Florida’s minimum wage is recalculated yearly based on the Consumer Price Index. The federal minimum wage currently…

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Higher Florida Minimum Wage Starting in January 2017

 On January 1, 2017, the Florida minimum wage will increase by five cents ($0.05) from $8.05 to $8.10 per hour.  A covered employee who is paid the minimum wage would also be entitled to an overtime wage of at least $12.15 per hour.  As of January 1, 2017, tipped employees in Florida must be paid a direct wage of $5.08, which is equal to the $8.10 minimum wage minus a $3.02 tip credit, and an overtime wage of $9.13.  An employee…

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Florida Minimum Wage Increases to $8.05

Effective January 1, 2015, the Florida minimum wage will increase from $7.93 to $8.05 per hour. The increase is required by a Florida constitutional amendment establishing a minimum wage for the state, and requiring that the minimum wage be adjusted based on inflation and the Consumer Price Index. The increased minimum wages for 2015 also applies to tipped employees. Tipped employees must receive a direct wage of at least $5.03 per hour, in addition to tips received. In order for…

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Florida’s Minimum Wage Increases to $7.79 in January 2013

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity has announced that the minimum wage in Florida will increase to $7.79 per hour as of January 1, 2013. Florida’s minimum wage is currently higher than the federal minimum wage. The federal minimum wage requires covered employers to pay their employees only $7.25 per hour, which is $0.54 less than the Florida minimum wage as of 2013. Under Florida’s higher minimum wage in 2013, employees who earn tips will be entitled to a direct…

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Illegal Deductions from Employee Wages

Some employers try to deduct money from employee wages to cover their overhead, which the employer should be responsible for paying. For example, a business may try to deduct money from a server’s tips for such expenses as uniforms, register shortages, walk-outs, returned food, broken plates, or damaged property. If such deductions cause a worker’s hourly wage to fall below the applicable minimum wage, the deduction may be illegal. These improper deductions often occur in the hospitality industry where restaurant…

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Florida Minimum Wage Increases to $7.67

On January 1, 2012, the Florida minimum wage increased by 36 cents to $7.67 per hour. In 2011, the Florida minimum wage was $7.25 until June 2011 when it increased to $7.31. The 2012 increase is equivalent to an extra $14.40 per week for an employee who works 40 hours and earns the minimum wage. For tipped employees, the current Florida minimum wage requires employers to pay tipped employees an hourly direct wage of $4.65. The federal minimum wage remains…

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Case Alleges Illegal Tip Pool at Sonny’s Real Pit Bar-B-Q

A former server at South Florida Barbeque, Inc., doing business as Sonny’s Real Pit Bar-B-Q, has filed a case in court seeking to bring a class action for alleged tip theft. Like many restaurants, Sonny’s takes a “tip credit,” and pays its servers $3.02 less than the Florida minimum wage. The server in that case claims Sonny’s maintained an illegal tip pool by using server tips to supplement the wages of non-tipped employees such as dishwashers, salad preparers, and managers…

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New Federal Minimum Wage Increase

On July 24, 2009, the federal minimum wage increased to $7.25. This increase has taken place incrementally over a two year period. State and local governments can require higher wages be paid to employees within their boundaries. Since Florida’s minimum wage was less than $7.25 per hour, the new hirer federal minimum wage will have the effect of increasing the Florida minimum to $7.25 per hour until the next annual increase in the Florida minimum wage when it adjusted for…

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