Florida workplace claims

This is the map for a job in Florida: at-will, the charge clock, and unpaid wages. It is not a ruling on your boss.

Last checked Sep 4, 2026 · LawyerUnc editorial. Educational only, not legal advice.

At-will

Florida private employment is at-will unless a contract, a union, or a statute says otherwise. Being fired for a bad reason is not, by itself, a case.

The charge clock

A federal discrimination charge is often due in 300 days because Florida has a state civil-rights agency (a deferral state). A Florida Civil Rights Act complaint at the Florida Commission on Human Relations is due in 365 days of the alleged violation (Fla. Stat. § 760.11(1)). After July 1, 2026, the civil action that follows has its own hard dates: generally one year after an FCHR reasonable-cause finding or an EEOC right-to-sue notice, whichever is earlier, or 18 months from the charge if neither issued within 180 days. These are days, not the car-crash two-year number. (42 U.S.C. § 2000e-5; Fla. Stat. § 760.11; Ch. 2026-116 (HB 1407))

Unpaid wages

FLSA unpaid minimum wage or overtime: generally 2 years, 3 if the violation is willful (29 U.S.C. § 255). Florida unpaid-wage claims have their own subsections. Do not use the car-crash two-year number as a shortcut.

What usually matters

• · The Florida Civil Rights Act covers many of the same traits as federal law, in companies of the covered size.
• · Private whistleblowing has its own Florida statute. It is not a free-floating 'I complained' claim.
• · If you were physically hurt at work, start with workers' compensation, not a discrimination charge, unless the story is also a firing or a refused accommodation.
• · HB 1407 (Ch. 2026-116), effective July 1, 2026, amended § 760.11 so the FCRA lawsuit clock is no longer an open argument after the agency sits on a charge.