RESPECT of Florida is the central non-profit agency for the State of Florida that helps employ about 1,200 Floridians with disabilities through the production of commodities and contractual services that are sold to government entities. If you would like to learn more about us or browse our catalog, visit us at:
respectofflorida.org.
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A Message from Executive Director Ryland Musick
What makes folks with disabilities happy with their work? The same things that give you satisfaction with your job. In his article in Business Management Daily, Cal Butera lists the five things that rate highest in employee satisfaction.
Money - it is important but research reveals that money is the least important motivator.
Autonomy - flexibility, having some control over their time rates above money.
Praise and recognition - if it's sincere and worthy it makes any employee feel wanted.
A sense of belonging - when a person understands how their work fits into the company's mission and feels part of the team - this rates second.
Camaraderie - This is the number one factor in employee happiness and satisfaction. It's important to like the people we work with. We're all social and we're all flawed. Whether we have a physical, intellectual or developmental disability or not, we need to have a connection with the people we share so much time with.
The Florida Legislature created the RESPECT program to provide employment for people with disabilities. Thus, thousands of Floridians who would otherwise have had no opportunity to experience the satisfaction of productive work have enjoyed that result. Think about how much our jobs define our identity, our sense of self-worth. At RESPECT, we are grateful to all our partners and customers who support our mission. Know that every time you purchase a product or use a service offered through RESPECT, you're providing meaningful work for people with disabilities. Thank you for your support!
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Facebook is one more way RESPECT wants to connect with you. Click above to like our page.
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Spotlight on Success
Wayne Rioux has shown great initiative to be a better employee. He pushes himself to complete each and every task to perfection. Wayne has overcome barriers to become one of Gulfstream Goodwill's best employees.
Chris Alvira is a shining example of professionalism and leadership on the Palm Beach Habilitation Center work crew. Chris' peers report that he goes out of his way to help others when needed.
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SLURPITS:
Not a Drink at 7-11
RESPECT of Florida recently partnered with Palm Beach Rehabilitation Center to offer a new product called SLURPITS. While it may initially be the name that catches your attention, its purpose is much more interesting. This commodity contains a living biofilter that absorbs and digests pollution in the water. It can be used in municipal storm drains, filter swales, and drainage and boat docks. The absorbent socks digest pesticides and fertilizers with an EPA registered bacteria that only produces water and carbon dioxide as a byproduct.
This new commodity can also kill mosquito larvae without harming bees, pets, or people. The bacteria blend that kills mosquitoes degrades quickly, in about a month's time, so we offer a monthly recharge packet to keep your water protected from mosquitoes.
SLURPITS can be ordered through the RESPECT Procurement List.
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Meetings, Training, and Events
- Sept. 13-15 - FL Association of Environmental Professionals, Tallahassee
- Sept. 19 - Florida ARF/RESPECT Awards, Tampa
- Sept. 19 - RESPECT Oversight Committee, Tampa
- Oct. - Disability Employment Awareness Month
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Commodity Line of the Month
RESPECT of Florida in partnership with Lighthouse Works! offers LED trof
fers and tubes. These lights can be hardwired or retrofitted into existing ballasts.
RESPECT in partnership with Seagull Services can provide decorative and holiday lighting. Call customer service for more information.
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Changes at RESPECT of Florida
Congratulations to RESPECT Customer Service Agent Faith Barnett on her retirement after 18 years of customer service support. Faith began working at RESPECT in 1998, a time when RESPECT employed four customer service agents. She saw many changes to RESPECT commodities, customers, and partner organizations over the years. She will be missed, and RESPECT has started the search for a new Customer Service Agent. In the meantime, please direct all commodities customer service inquiries to Product Specialist Katie Mayo at [email protected] or Commodities and Procurement Director Lindsey Boyington at [email protected]. The customer service phone number remains 850-942-3555.
RESPECT Accountant Patty Allen has retired, though she remains on board for a brief period to assist with training RESPECT's new Accountant Jennie Kelly. Patty served RESPECT customers and partners in her role for the past 30 years. We appreciate her hard work and effort and are happy that she can pursue life's next adventure. We are excited to have Jennie as our newest member of the team. For assistance with invoices and accounting please contact Jennie Kelly at [email protected] or by phone at 850-942-3560.
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New Partnerships with RESPECT of Florida
The RESPECT program works with more than 50 non-profit organizations around the state that employ individuals with disabilities. These individuals are responsible for producing the commodities and/or providing services to governmental entities.
RESPECT is happy to announce that three new organizations have recently become RESPECT Certified Employment Centers.
Center for the Visually Impaired (CVI) - In 1988, CVI began as a private nonprofit agency dedicated to provided training and support to blind and visually impaired individuals. At that time, seniors were the focus. However, with the continued demand for services and programs, the agency has expanded services to those ranging in age from 6 years old to over 100. Initially serving only Volusia County residents, CVI now serves four counties with the main office located in Daytona Beach. Today, the agency serves more than 400 individuals each year.
Leon Advocacy & Resource Center (LARC) - LARC is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit who has served people with disabilities for over 50 years. The mission is to provide services and supports to enhance the efforts of the community in creating a place where all persons are valued and contributing citizens. Its purpose is to end the segregation and devaluing of persons with developmental and other disabilities by helping them live, work, and fully participate in their community.
United Community Options of Broward, Palm Beach, and MidCoast Counties - In 1947, little was known about cerebral palsy and there was no place parents could turn for help for their children with neurological impairments. In Miami, several families joined together to establish a referral service and clinic, where their children could be evaluated and treated by physicians and therapists. The organization serves more than 1,600 infants, children and adults at over 60 locations in South Florida. United Community Options serves children and adults with a wide range of needs and abilities including physical, intellectual, and neurological disabilities, as well as developmental delays and developmental disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, autism spectrum disorder, Prader-Will syndrome, epilepsy, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and those who are technology dependent or medically fragile.
RESPECT Executive Director Ryland Musick said, "RESPECT values its partners and appreciates all the work that goes in to becoming part of the program. Our job now is to support their employment initiatives and increase the number of individuals with visual impairments or other disabilities in the Florida workforce."
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RESPECT Works with Dept. of Economic Opportunity on new Contact Center
Lighthouse Works and RESPECT of Florida are pleased to announce the signing of a contract agreement with the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) for improving contact center services aimed at helping Floridians who are currently unemployed apply for and file claims related to reemployment assistance.
RESPECT of Florida, which is the prime contractor on the agreement, is a non-profit organization designated by the state's Department of Management Services to administer Florida's State Use Program. This program encourages the development of job opportunities for individuals with disabilities and ensures that RESPECT's customers receive high-quality commodities and services.
Orlando-based social enterprise company, Lighthouse Works-which trains and employs individuals who live with blindness and vision loss-is the sub-contractor on the agreement and its 4Sight360 contact center will be responsible for handling a portion of the in-bound calls to DEO's Reemployment Assistance Service Center.
"This contact center is an exciting new opportunity for RESPECT of Florida and Lighthouse Works. We are eager to work with DEO in a new way," said Ryland Musick, Executive Director of RESPECT of Florida. "DEO's support of the RESPECT program helps Lighthouse Works employ more individuals who are blind or have low vision. In turn, the contact center employees will assist Floridians with reemployment questions and reduce workload of current DEO staff. This is a win-win situation."
According to DEO's website, unemployment assistance was rebranded with the name Reemployment Assistance to reflect the agency's comprehensive goal of helping Floridians find work during periods of unemployment by connecting jobseekers with available workforce training through Florida's CareerSource centers.
The contract states that 4Sight360 agents will assist callers on the Reemployment Assistance service line with the goal of "first call resolution." Agents, all of whom are visually impaired, will assist callers with tasks like applying for benefits and filing appeals. Agents will also handle calls from individuals with limited access or ability to self-enroll.
"DEO is proud to work with Lighthouse Works and RESPECT of Florida to accomplish our mission of helping all Floridians, with or without disabilities, find good jobs. Investing in our state's workforce helps Florida families prosper," said Cissy Proctor, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. "This partnership will assist individuals with visual impairments with employment opportunities, along with helping those Floridians receiving Reemployment Assistance benefits. Working together, we can make sure the Sunshine State remains a great place for everyone to earn a living and support a family."
The contract agreement is scheduled for one year with the option to renew. Lighthouse Works will begin staffing the contract with four full-time agents with plans to grow that number to 10 agents within the first 180 days.
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Wage and Hour Law
It Pays to Know the Rules
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HR & Compliance Manager, Dayna Lenk |
Imagine this scenario, your business is on a budget and overtime is a foul word for the organization. Your star employee always gets her work done and finds a way to do the work of several others, who inevitably fall behind. This employee is paid hourly and consistently turns in a timecard with exactly 40 hours worked each week. This employee regularly comes in at 7:30AM and never leaves until 5:30PM. Lunch is usually taken at her desk and everyone considers her their go-to source for information. This employee has a company smart phone that receives office calls, emails, and texts. This employee never leaves anyone hanging; she always responds to anyone's need regardless of the time of day. This may sound like your dream employee, but what she is is a lawsuit waiting to happen.
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires that hourly, non-exempt employees be paid for all work "suffered or permitted," even if the work was not specifically requested. Paying for unauthorized overtime might be painful, but overtime pay cannot be denied. The FLSA regulations literally state that management "cannot sit back and accept the benefits" of an employee's labor without paying for the time. This results in a violation of the FLSA. The violations can result in large penalties and fines from the State of Federal Department of Labor plus lawyer fees and damages from lawsuits. If the violations occurred to a group of employees, there could be a class action lawsuit, which would result in costly litigation, high damages, settlements, and a loss of employer reputation.
The number of wage-and-hour lawsuits for back pay is rising, with considerable focus on failure to pay employees for overtime hours. Many times, it is not the employee who reports the underpayment, but it is found by an audit, a whistleblower, or relative. The most common mistakes in this area are listed below:
Overtime
- It is common for employers to have a written policy requiring permission prior to working overtime. Many employers go a step further and discipline employees who work overtime without permission. This practice is legally permissible. What employers cannot do is decide not to pay the employee overtime. In short, if the employee worked the hours, he or she is entitled to compensation. It is important to recognize that employers must comply with wage and hour laws regardless of whether the employee's conduct subjects the employee to discipline.
"Volunteer" Work
- Some employers have engaged and dedicated employees who work after hours and think they are helping the company by not recording the time. Despite such good intentions, employees cannot choose to decline the protections of the FLSA and employers cannot refuse to pay them nor can they allow the employee to go unpaid. In the event of a lawsuit, an employer should not rely on a defense that the employee agreed to violate the FLSA by working without pay.
Breaks
- Although most Florida employers provide meal or rest breaks via their policy, you might be surprised to learn that by Florida Law employers do not have to provide either rest or meal breaks. However, if an employer offers a break of 20 minutes or less via their policy then their employees must be paid for the break and it is considered worked time. Breaks lasting over 20 minutes do not have to be compensated.
Training/Meetings
- Attendance at lectures, meetings, training programs and similar activities must be counted as worked time unless all of four criteria are met, which are: the event is outside normal hours, it is voluntary, it is not directly related to the employee's job, and the employee does not perform any productive work during attendance.
Meal Periods
- Meal periods (typically 30 minutes or more) need not be compensated as work time. During unpaid meal periods, employees must be completely relieved from duty while clocked out. The employee is not considered relieved if they are required to perform any duties, whether active or inactive, while off the clock. For this reason, many employers do not allow employees to eat lunch at their desk where they might be tempted to take a phone call, answer an email, or perform work duties.
Voluntary Early Arrival/Stay Late
- Arriving and starting working early, but not clocking in until the scheduled start time is a form of off-the-clock work. Even if an employee is there handling personal business, the temptation is to do work, and if they happen to do any work for the employer then that time becomes compensable.
Required Early Arrival/Stay Late
- If an employee is required to arrive early or stay late after their shift but only gets paid for their shift time then the employer is in violation of FSLA.
Travel
- All travel time done as part of an employee's job, including travel from jobsite to jobsite during the workday, must be considered as hours worked. The only exception is an employee's daily commute to and from work for the workday. This is not considered hours worked unless the employee is asked to travel to a location that is farther away from their normal worksite; the additional travel time beyond the regular site of work is paid time.
Auto Filling a Time Card
- Time cards that are always the same, are red flags to auditors. Be wary of any employee that always turns in a timecard that reflects the same time week after week.
Mobile Office
- The use of laptops, smartphones and other devices now let employees carry the office around in their pockets. Employees may check email or phone messages, or otherwise perform work in the evenings, on weekends, or even while on vacation. In some cases, employers expect employees to work or at least to be available after hours. For employees entitled to overtime, any work performed must be counted and paid. If the employer expects availability after hours, the potential liability for unpaid hours increases because the employer should have reasonably known that work was being performed.
The content of this article is provided for information and guidance purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. When in doubt, always seek legal counsel.
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Respectfully Yours
Editorial Team
Lindsey Boyington - Editorial Director
Ryland Musick - Columnist
Dayna Lenk - Human Resources Feature Writer
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