Pinellas County, FL Wage Theft and Recovery Ordinance
Pinellas County, FL adopted the Wage Theft and Recovery Ordinance to protect residents from being victims of wage theft. The law provides a process for filing a complaint with the Pinellas County Office of Human Rights. All employees who work for a covered employer in the geographic boundaries of Pinellas County can file a wage theft and recovery complaint. A covered employer is defined as “any person who, acting individually or as an officer, agent, or employee of another person, acts directly or indirectly in the interest of a person or entity employing an employee.”
An employee has no later than one year after the last date upon which the employee performed the work for an employer with regard to which the employee alleges a violation to file a complaint. If an employer is found to have unlawfully failed to pay earned wages, is shall entitle an employee to receive three times the amount of back wages that the employer is found to have unlawfully failed to pay the employee. The employer may also be asked to pay the Board of County Commissioner an assessment of costs in an amount not to exceed actual administrative processing costs and costs of the hearing.
Employers are required to provide each employee with a written notice with the following information at the time of hiring:
- the rate or rates of pay and whether paid by the hour, shift, day, week, salary, piece, commission, or otherwise, including any rates for overtime, as applicable;
- allowances claimed as part of the minimum wage, if any;
- the regular payday designated by the employer;
- the name of the employer;
- the physical address of the employer’s main office or principal place of business, and a mailing address, if different; and
- the employer’s telephone number.
This information must be kept for a period of one year following an employee’s date of hire.
Posting Requirements
All private employers in Pinellas County, Florida must post the Wage Theft and Recovery Ordinance Poster in a conspicuous location accessible to the employees. (Pinellas County, FL Code of Ordinances, Sec. 70-306(d))