Florida continues to attract employers and relocating professionals thanks to its expanding economy, tax advantages, and strong growth across industries such as tourism, hospitality, healthcare, logistics, and technology.

From a compliance perspective, Florida combines federal labor law foundations with state-specific wage increases and strict insurance requirements. While the state is often viewed as employer-friendly, compliance planning still plays an important role—particularly for organizations relocating employees from states with significantly different labor regulations.

Florida is also a right-to-work state, meaning employees cannot be required to join a union or pay union dues as a condition of employment.

Minimum wage & pay requirements

Florida enforces a state minimum wage that is higher than the federal rate.

Under the Florida Constitution, the minimum wage increases annually each September until it reaches $15 per hour statewide.

• In 2025, Florida’s minimum wage was $13 per hour
• It increased to $14 per hour effective September 30, 2025
  

For 2026, HR and payroll teams may want to confirm the updated rate and ensure that:

• Payroll systems reflect Florida’s annual September wage adjustment
  
• Employees relocating to Florida are reclassified correctly for state wage purposes
  
• Federal contractors continue to follow applicable federal contractor wage rules
  

Overtime

Florida follows federal FLSA overtime standards, which means:

• Overtime is paid at 1.5× the regular rate after 40 hours in a workweek
  
• There is no daily overtime requirement
  
• Exemption criteria align with federal salary and duties thresholds
  

For employers transferring exempt employees from more heavily regulated states, it can be helpful to reassess exemption eligibility under federal rules before completing the relocation.

Breaks & meal periods

Florida does not require meal or rest breaks for adult employees under state law. However, a few considerations still apply:

• Meal and rest breaks are mandatory for minors
• If breaks are provided, federal rules determine whether they must be paid
• Multi-state employers may want to maintain consistent internal break policies across locations

This is especially relevant when employees are relocating from states such as Colorado or Washington, where break requirements are more prescriptive.

Paid sick leave

Florida does not currently have a statewide paid sick leave mandate. That said:

• Some local paid leave proposals have been introduced in the past
• Employers must still comply with federal requirements such as FMLA and OSHA
• Internal leave policies often need to remain consistent across states for equity and clarity
  

For mobility teams, reviewing how Florida fits into an organization’s broader leave framework can help avoid confusion during employee transitions.

Workers’ compensation

Florida enforces strict workers’ compensation requirements, particularly in higher-risk industries.

General thresholds include:

• Most employers with four or more employees must carry coverage
• In the construction industry, coverage is required for all employees, including many contractors
• Out-of-state employees working temporarily in Florida must be properly insured
  

For mobile or project-based teams, workers’ compensation is often one of the more complex compliance areas to navigate.

Termination rules & final pay

Florida is an at-will employment state, meaning employment may be ended at any time for any lawful reason.

Final pay considerations include:

• No state-mandated accelerated final pay timeline
• Wages are generally paid on the next regular payday
• Payment of accrued PTO depends entirely on the employer’s written policy
  

Employees relocating from states with mandatory PTO payout rules may benefit from clear communication around these differences.

Independent contractor classification

Florida applies the IRS multi-factor test, along with additional state criteria related to reemployment assistance.

Misclassification risks can include:

• Tax penalties
• Wage and hour claims
• Workers’ compensation exposure
  

When structuring compensation for international assignees, organisations should consider  compliance across jurisdictions by aligning salary frameworks with the prevailing wage requirements of the worksite location, rather than relying on home country or headquarters benchmarks. 

Our MOVEPLUS™ Platform centralizes mobility information, documents decisions, and supports coordination with specialist legal, tax, and immigration partners as requirements change by location and move type.