Employment law is a broad and ever-expanding area of law encompassing all aspects of the employer/employee relationship. Employer/employee relations are governed by numerous federal and state statutes, state and federal administrative regulations, local ordinances and judicial rulings. CLF’s employment practice focuses on prosecution and defense of claims arising from employment discrimination, the Family Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”), Americans with Disability Act (“ADA”), and Age Discrimination in Employment Act (“ADEA”). In addition, CLF has a robust Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) claims practice, which is discussed under the Unpaid Wage and Overtime heading.  

Employment discrimination occurs when employers violate laws and make decisions that adversely affect an employee’s employment or benefits, based upon their race, national origin, religion, or other protected category, which should not be related to employment decisions. While Florida is an “at-will” employment state, which means that an employer can fire someone for almost no reason, it is illegal for an employer to take an adverse employment action or fire a person based on federally or state-protected rights. Discrimination in employment is prohibited by federal and state laws, and, sometimes by county ordinances.

Visit our resource page for links to the websites of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; U.S. Department of Labor; American with Disabilities home page; Florida Commission on Human Relations and Office of Equal Opportunity – Palm Beach County.