Florida Employment Lawyer — Discrimination & Whistleblower Retaliation
Losing a job — or being demoted, harassed, or pushed out — for an unlawful reason is one of the most disorienting things that can happen to a working person. Your income, your reputation, and your career are all on the line, and the employer holds the documents, the witnesses, and the lawyers. Ave Maria Law Center represents employees only, never employers. The firm’s trial lawyers are former Florida Assistant Attorney Generals who take on the cases other firms turn away. If you believe you were punished at work for an unlawful reason, the first conversation is free.
Employment cases we handle in Florida
- Workplace discrimination — adverse treatment based on race, sex, pregnancy, age, disability, religion, national origin, or another protected characteristic, in hiring, pay, promotion, discipline, or termination.
- Hostile work environment — harassment severe or pervasive enough to change the conditions of your job.
- Retaliation — punished for asserting your rights: complaining about discrimination, participating in an investigation, or refusing to go along with unlawful conduct.
- Whistleblower retaliation — fired or disciplined after objecting to or reporting your employer’s illegal activity. Florida protects private-sector workers here, not just government employees — see our dedicated Florida whistleblower retaliation page.
- Wrongful termination — where the firing crosses a legal line. We tell you plainly whether yours does.
How Florida employment law actually works
Three realities shape almost every employment case, and knowing them early protects your claim.
- Florida is an at-will state — but at-will has limits. An employer can generally fire you for a bad reason or no reason, but not for an unlawful one: your protected characteristics, your protected complaints, or your refusal to break the law. The whole case usually turns on proving the real reason.
- Many claims require an administrative step first. Discrimination claims generally must be filed as a charge with the EEOC or the Florida Commission on Human Relations before any lawsuit, and those filing windows are short — missing one can end the claim. Other claims, including whistleblower retaliation, run on their own strict deadlines.
- The record wins the case. Emails, reviews, texts, and the timeline between your protected activity and the punishment are the evidence. Preserve everything, and get advice before you sign a severance agreement — signing can waive your claims.
What compensation can cover
Depending on the claim, an employment case can seek back pay for what you lost, front pay where returning is not realistic, compensation for emotional distress, reinstatement in some cases, and attorney’s fees where a statute provides for them. No honest lawyer promises a number at the first call. What we provide is a candid assessment of what your facts support — and a case built to be tried, which is what makes employers and their insurers pay fairly.
Why Ave Maria Law Center
- Employee-side only. We never represent employers, so there is no divided loyalty.
- Former Florida Assistant Attorney Generals. Both of the firm’s attorneys litigated for the State — we know how institutions defend these cases.
- Trial lawyers. Employers settle fairly when the alternative is facing lawyers who are prepared to try the case.
- We take the hard cases. Retaliation and whistleblower matters other firms decline.
- Statewide, state and federal court. Employment cases frequently belong in federal court, and we handle both.
Serving employees across Florida
Our office is in Ave Maria (Collier County), and we represent employees throughout Florida — including Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Hillsborough (Tampa), and Orange County (Orlando). If your case involves reporting employer wrongdoing, see our whistleblower pages for Tampa, Orlando, Miami-Dade, Fort Lauderdale, and Palm Beach. For an overview of the combined practice, see our Florida civil rights and employment page.
Florida employment law FAQ
I was fired without warning. Was it wrongful termination?
Not necessarily — Florida employers can generally fire at will. It becomes unlawful when the real reason is a protected characteristic, a protected complaint, or your refusal to participate in illegal activity. The facts and timeline decide it, and we will give you a straight answer either way.
Do I have to file with the EEOC before suing?
For most discrimination claims, yes — an administrative charge with the EEOC or the Florida Commission on Human Relations generally comes first, on a short deadline. Getting the charge right matters, because it frames the lawsuit that follows.
I reported wrongdoing at a private company and got fired. Am I protected?
Florida’s Private Whistleblower Act protects private-sector employees who object to, refuse to participate in, or report their employer’s illegal activity. Deadlines can be short — call promptly. Our whistleblower retaliation page explains these cases in detail.
Should I sign the severance agreement they offered?
Not before understanding what you are giving up. Severance agreements typically waive your legal claims, and once signed they are hard to undo. Have it reviewed first.
My employer is a government agency. Is my case different?
Often, yes. Public employees can have additional constitutional claims — such as First Amendment retaliation — alongside their employment claims, and government defendants raise special defenses. The firm handles both; see our Florida civil rights practice.
What does it cost to hire you?
The first conversation is free, and the fee arrangement is explained to you in writing before you decide anything. Cost should never stop you from learning your rights.
Talk to a Florida employment lawyer
Free, confidential consultation, anywhere in Florida. If you were punished at work for an unlawful reason, call Ave Maria Law Center before deadlines pass at 1-855-RAY-CHRIS (855-729-2474).
Raymond Christopher, Attorney, is responsible for this advertisement. Ave Maria Law Center, 5706 Mayflower Way, Unit 207, Ave Maria, FL 34142.