South Florida Business Journal: Broward Commission to Vote on Wage Theft Ordinance

by Paul Brinkmann, South Florida Business Journal, October 8, 2012

The Broward County Commission is set to vote Tuesday night on a wage recovery ordinance, also general known as a wage ‘theft’ law.

If passed, Broward County would be the second county in Florida to adopt such a measure. Miami-Dade County enacted a similar ordinance in 2010.

A wage theft ordinance would give workers the right to sue employers under a local ordinance for unpaid wages, unpaid overtime, time forced to work off the clock, or payment under the minimum wage. Filing a complaint under a local ordinance would likely be easier and cheaper than filing a lawsuit under state or federal laws.

A midsummer report by the Progressive States Network graded Florida as an “F” when it came to wage theft prevention.