News & Information

 

FEATURED PRODUCT

U.S. Master™ Wage-Hour Guide, 2009 Edition
Presents a first approach to the broad and complex controls under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and other statutes regulating employee wages and hours.

Learn More »

CCH® PAYROLL — 10/29/09

Florida minimum wage to remain at $7.25 in 2010

The minimum wage for Florida will remain unchanged January 1, 2010, at the federal rate of $7.25 per hour. The federal minimum wage rate of $7.25 per hour went into effect July 24, 2009. Federal law requires that employers pay the higher of the federal or state minimum wage. The federal minimum wage will prevail over the state rate until such time as the Florida minimum wage becomes higher than the federal rate. The minimum wage applies to all employees in the state who are covered by the federal minimum wage.

Florida law requires the Agency for Workforce Innovation to calculate a new minimum wage each year and publish the new minimum wage on October 15. The annual calculation is based on the percentage change in the federal Consumer Price Index for urban wage earners and clerical workers in the South Region for the 12-month period prior to September 1, 2009. With the higher federal minimum wage taking precedence over the state rate, that calculation will not be applied to Florida's minimum wage in 2010.

Employers of "tipped employees" who meet eligibility requirements for the tip credit under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) may count tips actually received as wages under the FLSA. However, the employer must pay "tipped employees" a direct wage. The direct wage is calculated as equal to the minimum wage ($7.25) minus the tip credit ($3.02), or a direct hourly wage of $4.23 as of July 24, 2009.

(State of Florida, Agency for Workforce Innovation Press Release, October 15, 2009.)

For more information on this and other topics, consult the Visit our News Library.

Visit our News Library to read more news stories.