Hey everyone i just need some better help understanding some laws in Florida that are set to protect servers and employees in general.
So my issue is I was required to complete and obtain two certifications from my employer or I wouldn't be able to work at the establishment. The certifications cost me about $80 and roughly 10 hours to complete all of which I won't be compensated for from my employer. Initially I didn't mind this and saw it as a good thing to have under my belt if I will be working in the food industry for the next four years or so until I earn my degree. It became a problem now because of a few mishaps with payroll for the past month or so. I worked a day on a position I wasn't hired to do because I had the experience and knowledge to do so and they needed some help. I was told by the interim manager I would be compensated for as someone who normally works that position. The issue is I wasn't and now speaking to accounting they refuse to compensate any way besides the training rate I was paid on that day and told me the interim manager was wrong to tell me anything otherwise. I was expecting to get paid what I was owed this pay period but when the paperwork came around to sign I saw that not only was I not being paid that amount but also that I wasn't going to be paid correctly for the past two weeks I worked in my actual position. They tried getting the all clear from me on the phone but I refused to give it to them. I called to help settle any misunderstanding and thats when I was told this information. Also for the inner details on way my check for the past two weeks was wrong they refused to give me the specifics and told me that if I wanted to come in one day with the CEO and look over everything that that would be fine but not giving the all clear rn on the phone would mean I won't be getting paid this week and that I probably won't get paid at all till next pay period… I started recording the conversation about mid way about made sure to have all the information repeated to me on the recording just to maybe protect myself if this doesn't get resolved. That's when the idea hit me to ask about reimbursement for the money I spent getting the certifications they required in order for me to work there. And that's when they told me I wont be getting reimbursed, which was expected, but they also said it was required by law in Florida to have these certs in order to work the position I work. Thats when i decided to look it up online and see that actually wasn't true. The state of Florida does not require any sort of Certifications to work in my position but they do provide incentive for employers to provide these certs for their employees. These certs weren't provided to me, I paid for them out of my pocket. I also found out that any training that isn't voluntary must to be paid for by the employer. I have messages showing them telling me that without these certs I couldn't come back in to work. At the end of the day I'm not short too much money maybe around $400 now that I cleared some stuff up with my next check but it just still feels wrong. My girlfriend is saying I should just take the loss and if anything happens with the next check maybe take some more aggressive action. Thing is I wouldn't even know where to start. What department do I call or do I reach out to my local government? These are things any employee should know but we don't.
Tldr: Employer is shorting me on my checks and refuse to pay for my training. As an employee in the state of Florida I want to know what my options are.