Labor & Employment Lawyers in Sarasota, FL

Award Winning Labor & Employment Lawyers




Cantrell Schuette, P.A., is one of the few Sarasota law firms that has a group of attorneys that are solely dedicated to employment law. Our Sarasota labor and employment lawyers represent all employment matters for individuals and select businesses, including the areas of, family and medical leave laws, non-compete and non-solicit agreements, unpaid wages, NDAs, severance agreements, wrongful discharge, executive compensation, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.
We know that in life, few things can be more challenging and disruptive than work-related legal concerns. The trust and respect of our community and clients as your advocates and advisors is our top priority. Our Sarasota employment attorneys are front runners in Florida employment law and are respected by judges and opposing attorneys. Contact us today for a free initial conversation with one of our Sarasota labor and employment lawyers at 1-877-858-6868 or coordinator@caklegal.com.
A summary of our credentials can be found below, as well as the Sarasota employment law services we provide, and some frequently asked questions.
OUR SARASOTA EMPLOYMENT LAW ATTORNEYS
Hiring an employment lawyer is always an important decision and many factors are to be considered. In some instances, you may wind up working with the attorney you hire for a year or, sometimes, longer. Our Sarasota employment law practice is equipped with high-end, leading employment attorneys who are very responsive to clients. Some of the many highlights of the employment attorneys in our Sarasota employment law practice group include:
- Elite educations: Our employment attorneys educational accolades include graduating in the top 10% of their law school, having attended elite and Ivy League law schools (such as Harvard), and more.
- Passionate. Our attorneys pride themselves on ensuring clients understand everything, providing prompt responses and updates, and advocating effectively. Fairness in the workplace matters to us
- Extensive employment experience: Most of our employment attorneys have practiced at minimum 10 years of employment law, including employment litigation.
- Leaders in the field: Our employment attorneys enrich the field by providing seminars and training on advanced employment law issues to leading businesses, human resource professionals, and even other attorneys.
- Award-winning: Our Sarasota employment lawyers have been awarded by Super-Lawyers and Best Lawyers, obtained AV Rating by Martindale Hubbell, and were selected for Florida Legal Elite. Each of these awards is based on a peer-review system.
Our attorneys are known for their prompt responsiveness, respect among opposing counsel and judges, and determined advocacy. Reach out to us for a free case evaluation at 1-877-858-6868 or coordinator@caklegal.com


EMPLOYMENT LAW ISSUES WE HANDLE IN SARASOTA, FL
Our Sarasota employment practice covers almost any employment law matter you may face. Below is a list of the most common employment law matters we are retained to provide litigation services or counseling for:
- Wage and hour laws, including overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
- The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
- Employment agreements, including at-will employment and for-cause provisions
- Discrimination, harassment, or retaliation under Title VII and other federal laws
- Trade secrets
- Hostile work environment
- Commissions and bonuses
- Non-competes, non-solicits, and non-disclosure agreements
- Severance agreements (also known as separation agreements)
- The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
Our Sarasota labor and employment lawyers are also well-versed in Florida’s unique employment law rules, regulations, and culture including:
- Florida Leave Laws
- Florida Whistleblower Act
- Florida Workplace Drug Testing Laws
- Florida Civil Rights Act
- Florida Minimum Wage Act
- Florida Unpaid Wage Attorney-Fee Statute
- Florida’s Restrictive Covenant Statute (non-competes, non-solicits, non-disclosures)
Sarasota County, Florida, which includes Sarasota, has emphasized that their programs, services, and activities are subject to Title VI and ADA protections. For details on how to file a grievance with Sarasota County, see this link. Additionally, the minimum wage in Sarasota County is the same as the Florida minimum wage.
LET US ADVOCATE FOR YOU
Our Sarasota employment attorneys are trendsetters in the field of employment law and are well acquainted with Florida specific laws. Within the employment community we are venerated by attorneys and judges alike and have earned this stellar reputation from our attorneys sharing a deep dedication to the field of employment law, their elite credentials, zealous advocacy, and client centered collaboration.
Are you in need of a top Sarasota employment law attorney? If so, contact us at 1-877-858-6868 or coordinator@caklegal.com.
SARASOTA AND SARASOTA COUNTY COURTS
Sarasota is located in Sarasota County, Florida. There are federal and state courts in Sarasota County. The federal court that services Sarasota is located in Tampa, Florida and is part of the U.S. Middle District of Florida. The state circuit court is part of the Florida Twelfth Judicial Circuit Court. Our top Sarasota labor and employment lawyers regularly practice in both the federal court in Tampa, Florida, and state courts in Sarasota County. Because of their frequent use of the court systems, our attorneys maintain a familiar relationship with the judges and other consistent attorneys of the court system.
Frequently Asked Questions
In Sarasota, Florida, it is fully lawful to terminate an individual for a bad reason, for no reason at all, or even a simple misunderstanding. But termination becomes unlawful when its basis derives from a federally or state protected circumstance. This is then known as wrongful termination. It is wholly unlawful to terminate any employee for any basis that is protected by federal or state law. There are many federal and state laws that can apply to wrongful termination. The most widely recognized federal law is Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits workplace discrimination on the basis of age, sex, religion, pregnancy, and national origin.
Under Florida law, the Florida Civil Rights Act prohibits workplace discrimination under the same classes as Title VII. There is extensive judge-made law that interprets and applies Title VII and the Florida Civil Rights Act. As always, it is very important you speak with an experienced employment attorney to understand your rights under federal and Florida law.
If you believe you were subject to a wrongful termination in Sarasota, Florida contact us at 1-877-858-6868 or coordinator@caklegal.com.
In the State of Florida, a hostile work environment is determined by some form of harassment within the workplace. The elements to establish a claim of a hostile work environment are: (i) the harassment occurred because of the person’s sex; (ii) the harassment was sufficiently pervasive or severe to alter the conditions of the person’s employment and create an abusive working environment.
A federal court in Tampa stated that harassment is sufficiently severe or pervasive when it is so offensive as to alter the conditions of the person’s employment. Martinez v. Pavex Corp., 422 F. Supp. 2d 1284, 1292 (M.D. Fla. 2006)
Elements that Florida courts examine when determining if an environment is considered hostile include:
- Frequency of the hostile conduct
- Severity of the hostile conduct
- Whether the conduct is physically threatening or humiliating (as opposed to a one-off insult)
- Whether the conduct unreasonably interferes with the person’s job performance
For example, in a lawsuit called Scelta v. Delicatessen Support Services, 57 F. Supp. 2d 1327 (1999), a female employee of Boars Head in Sarasota, Florida, alleged that she was subject to the following sexual harassment that constituted a hostile work environment:
- A statement made by Defendant referring to the size of Plaintiff’s breasts;
- Defendant committed battery against Plaintiff by touching Plaintiff without her express or implied consent;
- In the presence of Plaintiff, Defendant pulled a female coworker onto a table and placed his body atop of her body in a sexual manner;
- Another comment was made by Defendant, at a sales meeting, while other employees and superiors were present, about the size of Plaintiff’ breasts, as well as other lewd comments;
- At a sales meeting, Plaintiff and other female employees were subjected to twenty (20) minutes of comments about their breasts, which included a comment made by Defendant stating that he would like a “cast of a female employee’s body” before she resigned, and as a result of that comment Plaintiff orally objected;
- Another denied Plaintiff’s attempt to transfer to an open position in New York City and did so to prevent Plaintiff from interacting with the first Defendant’s wife and members of Plaintiff’s family and, as a result of this, Plaintiff knew that the affair between Plaintiff and one of the Defendants was a primary consideration in decisions made that affected Plaintiff’s career;
- Defendant entered Plaintiff’s office, grabbed his crotch, and started discussing the size of his genitals, until Plaintiff objected;
- Plaintiff was informed that because of the affair between Plaintiff and one of the Defendant’s, the company was being forced to choose between her and the Defendant, and the company was choosing Defendant;
- Defendant referred to Plaintiff, in the presence of a supervisor, as a “neurotic fuck.”
Under those circumstances, the court denied the defendants’ motion to dismiss. In other words, taking into all the factors, the court held that the allegations were sufficient to establish a claim for a hostile work environment under Title VII and the Florida Civil Rights Act.
If you believe you were subject to a hostile work environment in Sarasota, Florida, contact us at 1-877-858-6868 or coordinator@caklegal.com.
Non-compete, non-disclosure, and non-solicit agreements are all forms of restrictive covenants. Under Florida law, restrictive covenants are governed under Fla. Stat. § 542.335
Under the Florida restrictive covenant statute, the following criteria must be met to enforce a non-compete or non-solicit:
- The agreement must be signed by the person against whom enforcement is sought.
- The company or individual seeking the enforcement must show the existence of one or more legitimate business interests, such as protecting confidential information, a substantial customer or patient relationships, or intellectual property.
- The company seeking the agreement to be enforced must show the restraint at issue is reasonably necessary to protect the legitimate business interests, justifying the restraint.
There are also many statutory and contract law defenses to prevent the enforcement of a non-compete or non-solicit in Sarasota, Florida.
If you have questions about a non-compete or non-solicit agreement, have received a cease-and-desist letter, or been sued, contact one of our Sarasota non-compete lawyers at 1-877-858-6868 or coordinator@caklegal.com.
In Florida, you may be entitled to commissions or bonuses based on an oral agreement. A written agreement is not required. It is prudent, however, to reduce an oral agreement to writing. Even an email recapping the oral agreement is helpful. That helps avoid ambiguity over the terms and existence of the agreement should there be disagreements later.
Hiring the right Sarasota employment attorney is a very important decision. Our Sarasota employment attorneys are known leaders in Florida employment law and are well respected by other attorneys and judges. To speak with one of our Sarasota employment attorneys, contact us at 1-877-858-6868 or coordinator@caklegal.com.