Employers in Osceola County, Florida must start reviewing their pay practices to make sure they are in compliance with wage and hour laws. As an attempt to prevent and eliminate non-payment or underpayment of earned wages, Ordinance 2015-21 also known as “Wage Recovery” has been passed.
Under the Ordinance, employees may file a complaint with the County no later than one year from the date wages ($60 or more) were due. Employees must keep employment records, including the hours worked, rates of pay and compensation paid. The employer will be given 20 days to respond to the wage theft complaint notice. The County will then appoint a hearing officer to hear the wage theft dispute.
If a wage theft violation is demonstrated, the employer must pay wage restitution to the employee in an amount equal to three times the amount of back wages. The hearing officer may also order the employer to pay attorney fees and administrative costs. If the employer does not comply with the orders within 45 days, the County can issue a written order to suspend or revoke the employer’s business tax receipt.