Are you worried about your workplace? Maybe it feels hostile, or your boss keeps cracking crude jokes.

These situations can be tough to get through. But you don’t always have to get through them alone.

Here are five instances where you’ll want to speak with a Florida employment law expert.

1. Your Employment Was Unfairly Terminated

Florida follows what’s known as at-will employment. This means that, under federal law, your employer can let you go for virtually any reason.

An exception is made, though, if the cause of your termination is deemed illegal by labor and employment law or discrimination law.

If you’re let go from a job, always ask for a specific reason. Then, assess the situation. Does your employer’s reasoning match up with their actions?

If not, you might have a strong legal case.

2. You’re Being Discriminated Against at Work

Perhaps the biggest purpose of employment law is to ensure that workers aren’t discriminated against in the workplace.

So what does discrimination look like? It can be anything from crude jokes about your gender, race, religious background, or sexual preference to getting passed up for a promotion for unfair reasons.

While proving discrimination can be quite the challenge, your safest bet is to speak with a lawyer to determine if, indeed, your claims fall under employment discrimination law.

3. You Can’t Get Fair Compensation

Under at-will law, your employer has the power to change your compensation at any time without notice. This goes for paid-time-off (PTO) and benefits, too.

While that sounds pretty scary, the bright side is that you’re guaranteed a minimum wage. In Florida, the current minimum wage sits at a base pay of $8.56 per hour.

The only exception to a minimum wage is if you receive more than $30 in tips per month.

4. Your Boss Puts You in Dangerous Situations

Everyone deserves to work in a safe place. Unfortunately, some employers would rather work get done quickly instead of safely.

If your boss ever puts you in a dangerous situation, know that you have the power to walk off the job site without any legal repercussions.

5. Your Claims Aren’t Taken Seriously at Work

A company’s human retargets department should be a haven for employees. In an ideal world, it’d be where employees can go to address their complaints and file claims, often anonymously.

However, we don’t live in an ideal world.

While HR should do the things listed above, it’s important to keep in mind that its priority is to protect the company first. Unfortunately, this means that sometimes claims get ignored or flat-out buried so the company’s public perception isn’t ruined.

Under Florida employment law, you’re required to take up your complaints with HR first, but that doesn’t mean you’re defenseless. Always ask for copies of your claim so you can check for accuracy, and follow-up and ask for receipts to ensure your claims are noted and addressed in an appropriate way.

Florida Employment Law and You: What to Remember

Navigating Florida employment law can get pretty tough. What’s important is that you remember that you have rights.

If you’re worried about your workplace, consider speaking with an employment law attorney as soon as possible.

And if you enjoyed this article, make sure to check back with our blog for more great content.