© 2024 90.7 WMFE. All Rights Reserved.
Public Media News for Central Florida
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

New Ordinance Protects Osceola County Workers From Wage Theft

Wage theft in Osceola County is part of a national trend in the retail, hospitality, and construction sectors. Photo: Restaurant Opportunities Centers United.
Wage theft in Osceola County is part of a national trend in the retail, hospitality, and construction sectors. Photo: Restaurant Opportunities Centers United.

Commissioner Michael Harford proposed the ordinance after learning that many workers in the retail, hospitality, and construction sectors were not being paid their full wages by employers.

Under the new ordinance that Osceola County commissioners approved Monday night, workers will fill out a form to request a county mediator tasked to resolve any disputes about pay and hours.

Commissioner Harford said, “It only affects the unscrupulous employer who seeks to take advantage of a population that may or may not have the sophistication to call the Labor Department on the federal level because that’s who they have.”

If a county mediator sides with the worker, the employer will be required to pay back wages plus triple damage.