This is your inside look at Florida’s unique payroll laws.

Florida’s Minimum Wage

The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour.  Florida’s minimum wage is significantly higher at $12 per hour.  The Sunshine State transitioned to the new minimum wage on September 30, 2023. 

Florida employers and employees should be aware that the state’s minimum wage will increase to $15 per hour by 2026. 

Florida Laws Pertaining to Tips

Florida business owners, managers and human resources professionals should also be aware that state law requires that an updated minimum wage poster be displayed in an area of the business that all employees can see.  There is even a penalty of $1,000 per violation for intentionally refusing to pay the state’s new minimum wage.

Statewide hospitality business owners and managers should be aware that the state’s tipped minimum wage differs from its minimum wage.  Service industry employees, such as those who work in restaurants, are eligible for tips.  The state’s tipped minimum wage is $7.98 per hour. 

Florida employers are legally empowered to take $3.02 per hour of tip credits.  Translated from bureaucratic legalese, this means statewide employers are empowered to pay those who earn tips slightly more than $3 less than the minimum wage.  However, the caveat is that hourly earnings with tips added must be a minimum of $11.

Florida employment law also allows for the pooling of tips, be it mandatory or voluntary.  The law states there is the potential to require that employees combine their tips for distribution across the entirety of the work crew.  However, Florida employers that require tip pooling are legally required to provide advanced notice of the policy to all new hires and current employees.

Statewide employers are barred from forcing employees to combine individual tips into a shared pool if such sharing results in hourly compensation that is less than the aforementioned minimum wage.  Moreover, Florida employment law states pool tips cannot be shared with employees who are not eligible for tips.  As an example, those who work as restaurant managers are not eligible for a cut of pooled tips earned by waitstaff, cooks, bussers, etc.

Overtime Pay

Florida does not have laws on the books addressing overtime compensation.  However, the nationwide overtime law is applicable in Florida.  Employees considered to be “non-exempt,” as defined by the FLSA are legally entitled to overtime compensation. 

FLSA is an acronym used to refer to the Fair Labor Standards Act.  Non-exempt are those legally entitled to earn the federal minimum wage and also qualify for overtime compensation.  Federal employment law states overtime pay is 1.5x that of the hourly rate for every hour worked in excess of the 40-hour workweek.

Though Florida employment laws do not specify an overtime limit per day, those who work manual labor for more than 10 hours in a day are legally entitled to overtime compensation for time worked beyond the 10-hour mark.

Employee Breaks

Florida employers are not legally mandated to provide employees with a rest break or meal.  However, there is a caveat to this law in that workers under the age of 18 are legally entitled to a half-hour break if they work for more than four straight hours.

Scheduling and Reporting

Florida does not have laws on the books that cover the details of reporting hours worked.  As an example, if an employee shows up to work yet is released from the shift before it is scheduled to end, the business is required to pay that individual for only the hours worked.  State law does not define the minimum length of time an employee is to be paid for showing up for a shift yet not completing the entirety of the shift.

It is also interesting to note that Florida does not have predictive scheduling laws.  Nor does the state have advanced requirements for schedule alterations.  Florida employers are empowered to alter employee schedules without advanced notice.  There is no legal requirement to obtain employee consent for schedule changes.  However, such consent might be necessary if the terms of an employment contract or collective bargaining agreement state otherwise.

America’s Preferred Payroll is Here for Your Business

Are you a business owner or manager?  If so, consider the merits of outsourcing your payroll, benefits administration, compliance, and time/attendance to our professionals.  We help businesses maximize efficiency and the bottom line.

Call us today at (813) 865-4205 to learn more about how we can help your business.

The Wage Garnishment Process

A lost court battle for an unpaid consumer debt, student loan or child support obligation gets the wage garnishment process moving. The defendant’s employer and bank that processes direct deposits are notified of the court’s decision to garnish wages. The formal legal document that triggers the garnishment of wages is referred to as the judgment.

It is up to the payroll processor to alter payroll in accordance with the garnishment notice. However, garnishing wages with accuracy has the potential to become challenging, especially when several employees have garnishments. Remember that some employees have multiple garnishments stemming from child support obligations and numerous unpaid debts. Moreover, each garnishment is an exact figure down to the penny.

Managing the Wage Garnishment Calendar

Wage garnishments eventually come to an end when the debt is paid in full or the child receiving financial support reaches adulthood. Moreover, the state of Florida has set limits in terms of how much money can be removed from each pay period earnings.

Florida acts in accordance with the Federal Consumer Credit Protection Act (CCPA) law. The CCPA established minimum wage garnishment protection rules in the spirit of fairness. According to the letter of the CCPA rules, consumer creditors are limited to taking 25% of weekly disposable earnings or the figure calculated when weekly earnings surpass 30x the nationwide minimum wage. Those who make less than this sum are exempt, meaning their wages cannot be garnished. Employers and employees throughout Florida should be aware that creditors can take 25% of weekly disposable earnings or the sum of the calculation referenced above, whichever is less.

It is also worth noting that some debts are considered “bought paper” in that they are bought by other debt collectors, eventually leading to garnishments or continued legal pursuit. The challenge lies in commencing, continuing and ending the wage garnishment for the correct amount of money through an organized calendaring system. Most businesses have enough going on in-house, making subtle details like wage garnishment scheduling and processing an afterthought.

Instead of sweating all the small stuff of each individual wage garnishment, let the professionals do the work on your behalf.

When a Judgment Isn’t Necessary to Garnish Wages

There is a common misconception that creditors are legally empowered to garnish employee wages without obtaining a court judgment. As an example, it is possible for the IRS, federal government agencies and Florida taxation authorities to garnish employee wages within state boundaries even without a formal court judgment.

Moreover, federal student loan servicers are legally empowered to garnish the wages of Florida earners without a court judgment. Florida employers should also be aware that parents in the state have the agency necessary to collect child support and/or alimony payments that are in arrears.

Wage Garnishment Exemptions

Florida’s exemption calculations run parallel to those at the federal level but for one difference. It is possible for debtors to qualify as the head of the household. The exemption for the head of the household, also referred to as the head of family, is limited to those who pay a minimum of half a dependent’s living expenses.

Those who support minor children, a spouse or even an ex-spouse through alimony are considered exempt from income garnishment if their weekly disposable income amounts to $750 or less. However, income and disposable income are not one in the same. Disposable income is money available for spending after cost-of-living expenses are addressed.

Employers and employees across the state should also be aware that creditors can only garnish the wages of a head of a household with weekly disposable income greater than $750 if debtor consent is given. In some instances, loan recipients waive the head of household exemption when signing loan paperwork. Furthermore, only those who file an affidavit to support their alleged exemption qualification within 20 days of the notice of garnishment will qualify.

Wage garnishment exemptions extend to protected sources of income. As an example, federal law safeguards workers’ compensation indemnity payments, veteran’s benefits and Social Security benefits from wage garnishment.

Contact America’s Preferred Payroll

It merely takes one wage garnishment mistake to create a bureaucratic, judicial and financial nightmare. Lean on the professional payroll providers at America’s Preferred Payroll for wage garnishments and related services. Give us a call today at (813) 865-4205 to schedule a consultation.

Advantages for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

Tracking employee time and attendance requires precision, focus and a willingness to double-check every last detail. Every fraction of an hour worked counts toward the final paycheck. Instead of relying on an internal employee to take on the challenge of calculating time, attendance and pay based on spreadsheets, outsource the work to the professionals.

You’ll find outsourcing time and attendance in Florida reduces your overhead costs, saves time and prevents frustration. More importantly, our payroll providers in Florida get time and attendance done right on the first try. This is the accuracy and efficiency every business needs to get paychecks right, retain employees and increase workplace morale.

We empower employees at Florida businesses to check their available sick time, vacation time, benefits and more. From monitoring overtime, setting alerts for individual employee max hour limits, requesting shift approvals and more, our system makes it easy to schedule your workforce. Our dashboard integrates with more than 1,100 popular software programs. Check out our time and attendance tracking tools for yourself and you’ll find it makes it easy to analyze labor metric patterns, ensure compliance and boost productivity.

Cost-Effectiveness and Time-Saving Benefits

Think back to the last time an employee pointed out a mistake in a weekly paycheck. Time, attendance, pay raises, garnishments and other details must be accurately represented in employee paychecks or time-consuming corrections will be necessary. Why pay a salaried in-house employee who has the potential to venture to greener pastures? It is more cost-effective to outsource time and attendance in Florida to those who specialize in payroll and related services. In addition to saving money, you’ll also save time.

Experienced payroll providers process time and attendance numbers along with ensuing paychecks with unparalleled efficiency. Perform a temporal comparison between your previous in-house approach to payroll versus outsourced time and attendance services and you’ll notice a significant difference. The professionals process large amounts of payroll information with a combination of manpower and technology, getting time, attendance and paychecks right lightning fast.

Enhanced Data Security and Accuracy

A data breach or inaccuracy will inevitably create exponentially more work for your internal personnel. Instead of burdening your hardworking employees with even more hurdles, lean on the proven payroll experts to surmount them. The professionals have gone to great lengths to keep data secure. Chances are your business hasn’t invested in the same digital safeguards as professional payroll services providers. Moreover, your limited or nonexistent IT department might not keep up to date on the latest cybersecurity defense strategies. Comprehensive and effective data security provides peace of mind, freeing you to solve other problems without worrying about the nuances of payroll.

If you are still on the fence as to whether outsourcing your time and attendance to professionals is worth it, consider the differences in accuracy. Compare your previous payroll process to the service of outsourced professionals and you’ll find few, if any problems arise when you lean on the proven experts. Accurate time, attendance and payroll prevents frustrating problems. There is no sense burdening your team with payroll, attempting to resolve inevitable errors and disrupting internal harmony when the professionals are a call away.

A Finger on the Pulse of Technology

Timekeeping technology is changing in unison with the rest of workplace technology. The average Florida business owner or manager understandably finds it difficult to remain abreast of the industry’s latest innovations. Fret not, as our time and attendance services providers keep our finger on the pulse of the industry’s dynamic tech.

Tap into our expertise when considering new time and attendance tech solutions. Implement those solutions and we’ll modify our time and attendance service accordingly. This is the guidance you need to progress in sync with new time clocks, biometric scanners, software and more.

Our time and attendance services are compatible with timekeeping systems ranging from geofencing with GPS-enabled devices to biometric scanning with faces, fingerprint scans and more. However, if employees still use an old-fashioned stamp clock to punch in and out of shifts or if your team tracks hours on a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, we’ve got you covered. This is the flexible time and attendance service your business needs to maximize its efficiency and retention rate.

Call America’s Preferred Payroll Today

Our payroll providers also provide time and attendance services, benefits administration, wage garnishment and more. Outsource your time and attendance work along with other projects to our team and you’ll feel an invaluable sense of liberation.

Give us a call today at (813) 865-4205 to find out more about how we can help your business. 

In this blog post, we’ll compare the HRIS, HRMS, and HCM software categories, so you can be in a better position to make an informed decision on which type of HR software to purchase. Learn more by reading on!

HR Software Categories

As you may have realized, your payroll and HR provider may be unable (or unwilling) to assist you with making a wise choice of HR software. After all, they don’t want your dependence on them to be reduced or eliminated. Also, it’s possible that your company’s existing HR practices may be hopelessly dated.

Although the terms HRIS and HCM are often used interchangeably in terms of HR technology, we can tell you more about what each solution should offer. Below, we’ll examine HRIS vs. HRMS systems and compare them to a third option, HCM systems. By doing so, we can help to ensure that your future investment in HR software will be a cutting-edge solution tailored to your organization’s specific needs.

What’s HRIS Software?

A Human Resource Information System (HRIS) stores employee information necessary for standard HR tasks. Without an HRIS, HR employees are stuck using paper records and spreadsheets. Inaccuracies, misplaced paperwork, and inconsistencies are all possible outcomes of such manual data entry and storage.

By contrast, names, residences, SSNs, work permits, and dependent information can all be easily and rapidly updated using HRIS tools. Reports on HR metrics and employee information can be pulled from specific HRIS systems for more strategic resource management. Self-service options for employees can improve the efficiency, speed, and flexibility of HR processes.

In most cases, HRIS systems provide:

• Payroll and tax compliance, including the calculation of pay after the deduction of applicable taxes and benefits
• Time and attendance recording, including working hours, paid time off, and staff schedules
• Online enrollment, data management, and regulation tracking for employee benefits
• The ability to keep tabs on staff members by having them update their contact, job, and personal details in one central online directory
• Self-service, by allowing workers to enroll in benefits, see their accrued balances, and change their personal information all on their own via self-service options (it should be noted that employees become more invested in their job when they’re given more responsibility)

What’s HRMS Software?

Managing human resources efficiently can boost business productivity. In order to maximize employee performance, an HR department requires a means of monitoring and understanding its staff.

A Human Resource Management System (HRMS) tracks processes related to managing employees during their employment lifecycles, whereas HRIS manages employees’ personnel records. HRMS information can help company management gain insights into recent trends in their workplace and how they can affect their business.

Some examples of HRMS functions are:

• Managing performance by establishing goals and measuring employee progress toward these goals
• Advertising open roles, collecting resumés online, and keeping track of potential candidates
• Reducing time spent onboarding by automating paperwork and keeping tabs on training
• Generating reports by analyzing business trends and delivering insights management can use

Similarly to HRISes, HRMSes have the potential to increase engagement during the hiring process. An HRMS is different, however, because it allows businesses to keep their employees engaged via the use of personalized objectives and regular performance reviews.

Why should performance reviews play a role in choosing between an HRMS or HRIS? Over time, more individuals will be working for your company. Helping these people develop in their careers will be worth the investment. Your turnover rate will go down, and morale will go up.

What’s HCM Software?

Put simply, human capital management (HCM) is a set of practices designed to manage HR tasks.

HCM includes activities such as recruiting, managing, and developing staff. HCM methods maximize the financial return on an organization’s investment in its people in order to strengthen the business’s position in the marketplace. Training, health, and wellness promotion initiatives are examples of successful HCM approaches.

Core HR functions, such as recruiting, managing, and developing employees, are a key part of an HCM system. Your firm can improve its workforce, pay more attention to its employees, and boost the return on investment (ROI) it offers by using an HCM software platform.

The following capabilities HCM platforms provide are valuable for businesses:

• Access to HR records, perks, salary, and self-service tools for staff members
• Access to the company’s organizational information and knowledge
• Comprehensive HR solutions, including sourcing, selection, onboarding, training, performance monitoring, and management
• Data collection and analysis for time and attendance, scheduling, self-service, and financial planning

HCM and Workforce Management

Are you familiar with workforce management (WFM)? Don’t be daunted if you aren’t. Generally speaking, HR discusses WFM issues, but WFM provides approaches unique from those discussed above; it primarily centers around the utilization of labor. WFM deals with shift scheduling and managing compliance risks. It so happens that HCM elevates WFM by integrating the full spectrum of HR management.

Distinctions Between HRIS, HRMS, and HCM

Different people have various ideas on what sets HRMS, HRIS, and HCM apart from one another. Because they’re all acronyms, word games often emerge from the disparity of these viewpoints and the letters that make up these tools.

HRIS is different from HRMS in that the latter uses more advanced technologies. Payroll and time tracking are included in HRIS, whereas performance monitoring and reporting are part of HRMS.

The human resource needs of smaller businesses are well-served by HRIS, while it’s possible that a rapidly expanding company might benefit from a user-friendly HRMS that simplifies HR processes and can offer actionable data.

HCM and HRMS tools also differ. HRMS systems streamline and improve processes that include recruitment and performance analysis. HCM is more complex than HRMS or HRIS, and it incorporates all of HRIS’ tools.

Due to the depth and versatility of its functions, HCM is a strategic resource for managing human capital. HCM software has features for handling employee lifecycles as well as day-to-day HR processes. HCM can do everything from helping to set up talent pipelines to handling retirement and pensions.

HCM suites build in all HRIS processes. Therefore, HCM manages all aspects of HRIS and much more besides, including:

• Performance management
• Onboarding
• Position mapping
• Benchmarking salary and benefits
• HR analytics
• Global compliance

To summarize the above, there are significant differences between HRIS, HRMS, and HCM software. Therefore, you should understand how each system can be capable of satisfying the needs of your business.

Similarities Between HRIS, HRMS, and HCM

HRIS, HRMS, and HCM systems all help with various aspects of HR management.

As a result, there’s a great deal of overlap across the three systems. The terms HRIS and HRMS are sometimes used interchangeably; however, HRMS provides more features. HRIS features are included within HCM, among other functions.

Due to the similarity between HRIS, HRMS, and HCM in the issues they solve, it’s essential to evaluate the benefits and features of a solution to ensure it fulfills your organization’s HR capability requirements.

Here is a table comparing the core capabilities of the three systems:

So, Which System Is Best?

 We want to dispel the misunderstanding that any one approach is always better than the others by drawing parallels between HRIS, HRMS, and HCM; the best human resources system is the one that meets the needs of your firm.

These approaches can also work for businesses of any size. But the goals of each system that will be most useful for you are entirely up to you.

When weighing the options that are available, HR departments should proceed with caution. They should avoid wasting time and resources on HR software that isn’t a good fit for their business. When deciding on HR software, you should consider its features, data backup specifications, cost, analytics capabilities, storage capacity, and support. Productivity, usability, operational costs, and security are all enhanced when HR systems are consolidated into one solution.

The right system will help new recruits get up to speed faster and simplify HR operations. Automation of HR processes like onboarding and payroll administration will increase business efficiency.

In conclusion, you should think carefully about your needs before spending money on any HRIS, HCM, or HRMS system. Growing businesses need HR systems that can deliver needed capabilities upfront and adapt to their changing needs in the future.

For additional help with hr services contact our Benefit Administration Services today!