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Labor Law and Whistleblowers

Florida Unpaid Time and Half Claims, Unpaid Overtime Lawyers

If you have not been paid time and a half in Florida for overtime worked you may have a wage and hour claim against your employer.  You deserve to get paid according to Florida law for the hours you put in. You may have a class action lawsuit for unpaid wages. Our lawyers for unpaid wages offer legal help for:

  • Lawyers for time and a half pay for overtime,
  • Lawyers for Fair Labor Standards Act,
  • Labor Emplyment Lawyers ,
  • Class actions  for Unpaid Overtime Wages,
  • Lawyers for Wage and Hour Claims,
  • Lawyers for FLSA and Unpaid Commissions,

Overtime pay of time and a half is due once an employee has worked forty (40) hours in a work week.

The Fair Labor Standards Act ( FLSA )

The FLSA establishes the rules for  governing employees rights to minimum wage and overtime pay which include:

  • Time and a half wages for employees for all hours over 40 worked in a workweek.
  • A minimum wage of at least $7.25 for all hours worked.

What can I expect if I win a wage and hour claim against my employer?

  • Back pay for all unpaid overtime, beginning two (2) years before the lawsuit is filed.
  • Double the amount of unpaid wages, in some instances
  • Your employer will be liable for the attorneys fees

For the full details about your Florida unpaid wages, to file an unpaid wages claim and to see if you have a claim for unpaid overtime call our wage and hour claim hotline today

In Florida you deserve to get paid your full WAGES FOR HOURS WORKED and all overtime back pay for unpaid wages claims.

Florida Unpaid Wages Lawyer, Unpaid Overtime, Wage and Hour Claims

As a worker in Florida you deserve to get paid your fair wages and overtime pay. If you have been denied your wages you may have a wage and hour claim against your employer.

Are You Entitled By Law To Thousands of Dollars In Unpaid Wages And Overtime? Can you get a monetary award for additional damages? Learn Your Rights.

Free Legal Shield wage and hour claim lawyers help employees like you obtain the unpaid wages, overtime, and other benefits to which you are entitled. and have earned. Call us to learn about any potential claim for overtime or unpaid wages you may have.

Your Rights To a Fair Wage and Overtime Pay

Florida follows the Federal law. Overtime pay of time and a half is required for all non-exempt employees for hours worked over 40 during a workweek.

Florida Minimum Wage

As of January 1, 2009, Florida’s minimum wage was $7.21. Effective July 24, 2009, Florida’s minimum wage increased, along with the Federal minimum wage, to $7.25 per hour. Additionally, each year, Florida’s minimum wage is subject to annual increases based on inflation.

Florida law gives employers a $3.02 per hour tip credit against the hourly minimum wage for tipped employees.

If you believe you have been denied your fair wages and over time contact Free Legal Shield today

Wage and hour claims lawyers ready to help you


Wage and hour claims:Attorneys who cover Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Palm Beach County

Attorneys who cover Orlando, Winter Park, Winterhaven, Kissimmee,Ocala,Atlamonte Springs,Deland,Melbourne, Daytona. Orange,Osceola,Seminole,Lake,Volusia, Polk , Brevard Counties

Attorneys who cover: Lake Worth, West Palm Beach, Jupiter, Stuart,Port St Lucie, Okeechobee, Belle Glade, Vero Beach, Palm Bay Palm Beach, Martin, St Lucie and Indian River counties

Attorneys who cover Miami, Hialeah, Miami Beach, Florida Keys including all of Dade and Monroe counties

Attorneys who cover Hollywood,Fort Lauderdale,Pompano, Deerfield Beach, Coral Springs and all of Broward County

Attorneys who cover Tampa, Brandon, Clearwater, St Pete, New Port Richey, Brooksville, Sarasota, Naple, Venice, Bradenton, Fort Myers, Cape Coral and all of Hernanado, Citrus, Pasco, Pinnellas, Hillsboro, Sarasota, Manatee, Lee and Collier counties.

Attorneys who cover Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach, St. Augustine, Orange Park all of Northeast Florida including Marion Sumter, Flager and Duval counties. Also Attorneys who cover Northwest Florida including: Tallahassee, Pensacola, Panama City and Starke.

What is a Qui Tam, Qui Tam WhistleBlower Lawyers

QUI TAM, Whistleblower cases: Qui Tam Lawyers accepting Qui Tam Whistleblower Cases
Qui Tam :In Qui Tam litigation a private citizen (the whistle blower) who knows of fraud committed against the government may, through his own privately retained lawyers, file a law suit to recover the losses caused by the government fraud. The False Claims Act provides huge financial incentives to citizen whistle blowers to retain attorneys and come forward, prosecute these lawsuits and fight government fraud.
I. HISTORY OF QUI TAM, whisleblower PROVISIONS:
Qui Tam laws have existed for hundreds of years, with roots in England in the middle ages. In qui tam provisions the government gives private citizens the right and the financial incentive to retain a private lawyer to file a lawsuit to act in the place of law enforcement.
The Continental Congress in the early days of government in the United States enacted a number of qui tam provisions. Benjamin Franklin has been quoted as saying: “There is no kind of dishonesty into which otherwise good people more easily and frequently fall than that of defrauding the government.” Abraham Lincoln, himself a lawyer in private practice before ascending to the Presidency, was responsible for enactment of the 1863 False Claims Act, which was necessary to protect the government from the fraudulent suppliers of faulty war equipment during the Civil War. He stated: “Worse than traitors in arms are the men who pretend loyalty to the flag, feast and fatten on the misfortunes of the nation while patriotic blood is crimsoning the plains of the south and their countrymen are moldering in the dust.” Although a significant narrowing of the provisions of the False Claims Act took place in 1943, the law was revitalized by Congress in 1986, with a significant expansion of the scope of the law and renewed attention to the federal whistle-blower and his or her attorney as a key to enforcement.
II. QUI TAM, whistleblower CLAIMS TODAY:
It has been estimated that almost 10% of the United States annual budget is paid to companies or persons who are defrauding the government. Some of them overcharge the government for products sold to the government. Others submit vouchers billing the government for services which they never provided or over billing for services provided. And still others engage in government contract fraud, defense contractor fraud, Medicare fraud, Medicaid fraud, or other public benefit fraud. The False Claims Act covers a wide variety of situations in addition to overcharging or billing for property or services not delivered. Virtually any situation in which the government has been cheated should be closely scrutinized by experienced Qui Tam lawyers to determine whether it is covered under the False Claims Act. The following are situations in addition to those mentioned above which would be covered under the False Claims Act and for which lawsuits could be brought:
• preparing a false record or statement or bill in order to get a false or fraudulent claim paid by the government.
• conspiring with anyone else to have a false or fraudulent claim paid by the government.
• holding property of the government intending to defraud the government or intending to conceal it from the government.
• creating or delivering a false or fraudulent receipt to the government for its property.
• fraudulently buying property of the government from someone who is not authorized to sell that property for the government.
• making a false statement to fraudulently avoid paying a debt to the government or to avoid delivering property to the government.
• causing someone else to submit a false or fraudulent claim.
To combat fraud committed against the government, Congress passed the False Claims Act, which, as noted above, was amended and significantly strengthened in 1986. Between 1987 and 1995 lawyers filed over a thousand qui tam lawsuits. For the period 1988 to 1995 alone, over a billion dollars was recovered by private Qui Tam lawyers in settlements or verdicts in hundreds of cases (law suits) filed on behalf of the United States government, with whistle blowers who retained their own lawyers to file suit receiving more than $100 million of the recovered funds. An additional $752 million was recovered in the years 1996 and 1997 alone. According to an annual report of the Department of Justice, almost $1.2 billion was recovered in whistle blower claims and law suits filed by private citizens through their own lawyers under the Federal False Claims Act for the fiscal year October 1, 2000 to September 30, 2001, with more than $210 million of those funds being awarded to the federal whistle blowers themselves. The amount is growing. It is estimated that in the year 2005 $3.1 billion was collected from businesses defrauding the federal government.
The amendments make the definition of fraud broad enough to include submitting claims with deliberate ignorance or reckless disregard for the truth of statements made in the claim for US government spending or funds upon which the fraud claim is based. The burden of proof that must be met by the whistle blower’s lawyer or the government’s lawyer in a Qui Tam suit is the “preponderance of the evidence” standard, i.e., that the evidence presented by the attorneys is more likely true than not. This is the same burden of proof that ordinarily must be met by the attorney in most civil damage cases, rather than more onerous standards, such as that which must be met by a prosecutor in criminal cases of proof “beyond a reasonable doubt.” The 1986 amendments included provisions for requiring the party defrauding the government to pay the successful whistle blower’s attorney fees and in some settlements that may mean that the whistle blower never incurs an attorneys fee. In addition, provisions were included for protecting the federal whistle-blower from retaliatory actions by his/her employer.
III.Qui Tam, Whistleblower PROCEDURE AND RECOVERY:
This law was designed to encourage private citizens to help fight government fraud by acting as a whistle blower. That is, a person who knows of fraud against the government may retain a lawyer and file a court case (lawsuit) under seal (meaning that it is kept secret during this initial phase) in a United States District Court against the company or person committing the fraud against the government. After the case is filed, the United States attorney investigates the lawsuit and allegations of fraud for sixty days. If the U.S. Attorney believes the fraud lawsuit is meritorious, the United States Government takes over the case and either enters into a settlement or pursues the lawsuit against the wrongdoer. The whistle blower still retains his/her right to a portion of the proceeds in the Qui Tam fraud lawsuit resulting in a successful settlement or recovery, even though the government has taken over the legal case. The government intervenes in approximately 25% to 33% of the cases. If the government does not intervene, the federal whistle blower, through the lawyers he or she has retained, may settle or pursue the lawsuit on his/her own. If the lawyers are successful in proving fraud against the government, the law requires the wrongdoer to pay substantial penalties, which can be assessed to up to 3 times the amount that the wrongdoer fraudulently stole from the government and, in reality, from the taxpayers. In addition, a mandatory civil penalty of between $5,000.00 and $10,000.00 per false claim will be imposed. Out of damages imposed, the private citizen whistle blower (also called a relator) can receive between 10% and 30% of the lawsuit recovery. Some relators have been paid millions of dollars. These cases are often highly technical and complex. Before filing, they must be properly investigated and assembled, which demands that you obtain competent attorneys experienced in handling Qui Tam fraud cases.

Whistle blower and Qui Tam Lawyers

Whistleblower and Qui Tam Lawyers,False Claims Act

When an employer is suspected of engaging in illegal actions and benefiting from these actions, an employee may take it upon him or herself to report this to the proper authorities. When this happens, the individual who did the reporting is called a whistleblower. Lawyers of Free Legal Shield have experience helping employees with whistleblower representation for many years. We can protect the rights of employees who are acting as the whistleblower. Qui Tam and whistleblower cases can fall under the category of class action litigation.

Whistleblower

Many whistleblowers find themselves facing problems for the reporting of the suspected activities of their employer. Qui Tam and Whistleblower lawyers assist employees with whistleblower cases and the potential for retaliation or actions taken by the employer.

Qui Tam

Closely related to whistleblower actions, qui tam is a provision of the federal False Claims Act. Under this act, a qui tam action may be filed by a private citizen (usually the whistleblower) charging fraud against a government contractor or a business receiving government funds. The result of this lawsuit is that the citizen may share in the funds that are recovered by the government. Some Qui Tam cses can result in substantial compensation to the whistleblower. Protecting the public against fraud is the purchase of Qui Tam. It is a citizens responsibilty to protect all by reporting illegal theft of Government funds.

Qui Tam in the Health Care Industry

One area in which Qui Tam claims are growing is the health care industry. When an employee has knowledge of fraud involving Medicare, pharmaceutical misconduct or other activity involving government reimbursement or payment for health care, they should speak to a lawyer at our firm for assistance in determining if they may have uncovered a valid claim for wrongdoing and filing a qui tam lawsuit under the False Claims Act. If you report a government fraud or Qui Tam case you may be entitled to substantial compensation.

For more information about whistleblower and qui tam cases contact Free Legal Shield.

Lawyers for Labor and Employment Law

What are labor and employment law lawyers ,wage and hour claim lawyers, whistleblower lawyers and what can they do for you? A labor and employment law Attorney, lawyer, Law Firm can help if you have been treated unfairly by your employer because of your race, gender, religion, or affiliation with any class. Employment lawyers deal with whistleblower and Qui Tam cases. A Labor employment law lawyer can help you if you have been discriminated against. Does your employer ask you to work additional hours and then not pay you your over-time wages? You are entitled to payment for your work plus penalties under Federal and State laws. Our attorneys have represented people of discriminated against as well as over-time non-payment and wage and hour claims.Class Action lawyers handle Qui Tam or whistleblower cases where fraud has been committed against the government

Call The Attorneys of Attorney Referral Service at 800 733-5342

There are employment laws designed to protect workers from being treated unfairly. Employment discrimination claims can be complicated and difficult to prove without expert an experienced labor and employment law attorney on your side.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities in Employment Act, and other federal and state laws are there to protect the people against employment discrimination by employers. You may be a victim of discrimination if:

* You have been Discriminated against or harassed because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or age;

*if you are a whistleblower or have filed a discrimination charge, or are a part of a discrimination investigation, or have spoken up about discriminatory practices your employer cannot retaliate against you

* employers can not base hiring or promotion decisions on stereotypes concerning sex, race, age, religion, or ethnic group, or disabilities.

* You cannot be Denied employment because of marriage to, or association with, an individual of a particular race, religion, national origin, or an individual with a disability. Discrimination based on participation in schools , places of worship , or religious groups is considered discrimination.

* Your employer cannot Discriminate against you or harass you based on sexual orientation, status as a parent, marital status and political affiliation ,race or ethnic orientation.

The law requires that an employer document hiring and firing practices as well as, compensation, assignment, or classification of employees; transfer, promotion, layoff, or recall, job advertisements, recruitment, testing, use of company facilities, training and apprenticeship programs, fringe benefits, equal pay, retirement plans, and disability leave. Employers must post workplace notices advising employees of their rights under the law. These notices must be able to be viewed, by persons with visual or other disabilities that affect reading.

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and Florida, Georgia Law

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, your employer is required to pay you 1.5 times their hourly wage for every hour you work over 40 hours in one week. This is“overtime pay.”Your employer may change the days you work in a week to try to avoid paying overtime . This is also prohibited under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Free Legal Shields experienced team of labor and employment law lawyers Attorneys and law firms can help you collect unpaid wages for as far back as three years from the date the suit is filed. They can also help determine whether you are an employee entitled to overtime pay or a minimum wage under the Fair Labor Standards Act. If you believe your employer has not paid you the minimum wage for hours worked call our experienced labor and employment law wage and hour lawyers to find out if you have a wage and hour claim.

Free legal Shield Attorney referral Service has Florida lawyers for wage and hour and Qui tam Whistle blower cases ready to help you if you have been injured in the following Florida cities: Boca Raton, Bradenton, Cape Coral, Clearwater, Coral Gables, Daytona, Delray Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Fort Pierce, Fort Walton Beach, Gainesville, Hialeah, Hollywood, Homestead, Jacksonville, Key West, Kissimmee, Lakeland, Largo, Melbourne, Miami Miami Beach, Naples, New Smyrna Beach, Ocala, Orlando, Panama City, Pensacola, Plantation, Pompano Beach, Port Saint Lucie, Palm Beach, St. Petersburg, Sarasota, Tallahassee, Tampa, Tarpon Springs, Titusville, Venice, Vero Beach, West Palm Beach, West Pensacola, Winter Garden, Winter Haven, and Winter Park.

Free legal Shied has Florida Lawyers for wage and hour,Qui tam and whistleblower cases ready to help you if you have been injured in the following counties: Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Glades, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Holmes, Indian, River, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Santa, Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Volusia, Wakulla, Walton, and Washington

We also have Lawyers for wage and hour and Qui tam cases in the following Georgia counties and cities: Fulton County, DeKalb County, Atlanta GA, Sandy Springs GA, East Point GA, Redan GA, Riverdale GA, Snellville GA, Conyers GA, Covington GA, McDonough GA, Hampton GA, Lawrenceville GA, Johns Creek GA, Roswell GA, Woodstock GA, Marietta GA, Smyrna GA, Mableton GA, Douglasville GA, Buford GA, Canton, GA.

Now that you have the facts you are ready to call Free Legal Shield to get a Wage and Hour Labor and Employment law Attorney.