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Florida Employer Updates: Payroll, Workers’ Comp & Wages

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 15:12:29 GMT

This Week’s Key Takeaways

Four important developments stand out:

Florida’s new reemployment-tax filing system launches on August 24th.
A 7.4% average workers’ compensation rate decrease has been proposed for 2027.
Employers have approximately five weeks to prepare for Florida’s $15 minimum wage.
Florida’s Labor Market Shows Slight Improvement

Florida’s New Reemployment-Tax System Launches

Florida’s electronic system for filing and paying reemployment taxes transitions to the new eServices system on August 24th, 2026 .

The new system will be used for:

Employer’s Quarterly Reports (RT-6)
Corrections to quarterly or annual domestic reports (RT-8A)
Annual reports for employers of domestic employees (RT-7)

Employers should confirm that their login credentials, account permissions and filing methods work properly in the new system. Businesses using file-transmission services must use secure SFTP because standard FTP is no longer supported.

Previously filed returns and payment records may not automatically transfer, so businesses should also retain copies of important historical records.

Waiting until the October 31st quarterly filing deadline to test access could leave too little time to correct missing credentials or account permissions.

MyTown Solutions is actively monitoring the transition to help protect our clients’ payroll-tax filing continuity.

Proposed 7.4% Workers’ Compensation Rate Decrease

The National Council on Compensation Insurance has proposed an average 7.4% reduction in Florida workers’ compensation rates .

If approved by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, the new rates would apply to new and renewing policies beginning January 1st, 2027 .

This could be welcome news for Florida employers, but the proposal is not final . Actual savings would also vary based on each business’s workers’ compensation class codes, payroll and claims history.

Employers should not immediately budget for a full 7.4% reduction or treat the proposed percentage as guaranteed savings.

However, businesses with January 2027 renewals should begin preparing now. The proposal creates a valuable opportunity to review workers’ compensation coverage, class codes, payroll reporting and renewal options.

MyTown Solutions can help employers review their workers’ compensation and payroll programs before upcoming renewals.

Florida’s $15 Minimum Wage Is Five Weeks Away

Florida’s minimum wage will increase to $15 per hour on September 30th, 2026 .

The minimum cash wage for tipped employees will increase to $11.98 per hour when the full $3.02 tip credit is properly used.

Employers should review more than employees currently earning below $15 per hour. The increase could also affect:

Overtime calculations
Tipped employees
Pay differences between new and experienced employees
Staffing markups and billing rates
Customer contracts and pricing
Pay periods that cross September 30th

Businesses should complete their wage-impact reviews by early September to leave enough time to update payroll and communicate any necessary changes.

Visit FloridaCommerce for minimum-wage information

Florida’s Labor Market Shows Slight Improvement

Florida’s unemployment rate decreased from 4.7% in June to 4.6% in July. The state added approximately 4,500 nonfarm jobs during the month, while total employment increased just 0.4% over the previous year.

Industry results were mixed:

Construction employment increased 0.4% year over year.
Education and healthcare employment increased 2.2%.
Financial activities employment declined 2.0%.

These numbers show that Florida’s labor market is improving slightly, but many employers remain cautious about increasing permanent overhead. Recruiting qualified construction and skilled-trade employees may also remain difficult despite slower overall job growth.

MyTown Solutions offers direct-hire, temp-to-hire and flexible workforce solutions to help Florida businesses find qualified employees while choosing the hiring approach that works best for them.

Review Florida labor-market data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

What Florida Employers Should Do Now

This week, business owners should focus on four priorities:

Test access to Florida’s new reemployment-tax system.
Identify workers’ compensation policies renewing in early 2027.
Complete minimum-wage impact reviews before September.

Stay Prepared With MyTown Solutions

MyTown Solutions helps Florida businesses simplify:

Payroll and payroll-tax administration
Pay-as-you-go workers’ compensation
Staffing and direct-hire recruiting
Employee benefits
Workforce compliance

Our goal is to help business owners stay informed, reduce administrative headaches and avoid costly surprises so they can focus on operating and growing their businesses.

Contact MyTown Solutions if you would like help preparing for the September 30th minimum-wage increase or reviewing your payroll, workers’ compensation, staffing or employee-benefit needs.

This article is provided for general operational and educational purposes. Legal, tax and compliance decisions should be reviewed with qualified profession als.

Key Changes Florida Employers Should Prepare For

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 15:17:46 GMT

Here’s what Florida business owners need to know.

Florida employers should prepare for several important payroll, wage, hiring and employee-compliance developments. This week’s updates include Florida’s upcoming $15 minimum wage, expanded E-Verify reporting, paid-training requirements and a proposed employee benefit.

Florida’s Minimum Wage Increases to $15 in September 2026

Florida’s minimum wage will increase from $14 to $15 per hour on September 30, 2026 .

The minimum cash wage for tipped employees will also increase from $10.98 to $11.98 per hour when an employer properly uses the full $3.02 tip credit.

Before the new Florida minimum wage takes effect, employers should review:

Current employee pay rates
Payroll and overtime calculations
Pay differences between newer and experienced employees
Tipped-employee and tip-credit records
Staffing rates and customer pricing
Existing contracts and operating budgets
Job postings and employment offers

Employers should also review employees earning slightly more than $15 per hour. The increase could create wage compression between entry-level employees and more experienced team members.

Preparing early can help Florida businesses avoid payroll errors, employee concerns and unexpected increases in labor costs.

New E-Verify Report Requires Careful Review

E-Verify has expanded its Status Change Report to identify certain employee work-authorization documents that may have been invalidated.

This is especially important for Florida private employers with 25 or more employees , which are generally required to use E-Verify for new hires.

A match on the report does not necessarily mean an employee should be terminated immediately. The employee could have another valid form of work authorization. Employers should carefully review the employee’s Form I-9 documentation, follow the proper reverification process and seek qualified immigration counsel when necessary.

Failing to respond appropriately could create unauthorized-employment exposure. However, acting too quickly or requesting specific documents from an employee could also create discrimination concerns.

Florida employers should establish a consistent process for reviewing E-Verify status changes and documenting their response.

Required Training and Orientation Time Must Generally Be Paid

Required orientation, meetings and job-related training generally count as paid working time under federal wage-and-hour rules.

This may include:

New-hire orientation
Workplace safety training
Compliance meetings
Software instruction
Client-site onboarding
Required videos or online training completed from home

Employers should make sure employees clock in before required training begins. Training time must also be included when calculating weekly overtime.

Businesses using temporary or staffing employees should confirm that workers are paid for client-required onboarding, regardless of whether the staffing provider or client is ultimately responsible for the cost.

Even small amounts of unpaid training time can become a significant wage-and-hour issue when the same practice affects multiple employees.

Proposed Employer Benefit: Trump Accounts

Proposed federal rules may eventually allow employers to make tax-free contributions of up to $2,500 annually to Trump Accounts established for employees or their dependents.

If finalized, Trump Accounts could become another voluntary employee benefit that businesses use to support recruiting and employee retention. Employers may be required to create a written plan and follow certain nondiscrimination requirements.

These rules are still proposed. Employers should wait for final guidance before creating a program, promising the benefit to employees or changing payroll procedures.

No Major Florida Workers’ Compensation or OSHA Changes This Week

No significant new Florida workers’ compensation rules or federal OSHA standards affecting Florida employers were finalized this week.

However, employers should continue following existing workplace-safety requirements. Heat exposure, falls, electrical hazards and struck-by incidents remain major concerns for Florida businesses in construction, HVAC, plumbing, electrical work and landscaping.

How MyTown Solutions Helps Florida Employers

MyTown Solutions helps Florida businesses simplify:

Payroll processing
Pay-as-you-go workers’ compensation
Staffing and employee hiring
Employee benefits
Workforce compliance and administration

Our goal is to help Florida business owners stay prepared, reduce administrative headaches and avoid costly surprises so they can focus on operating and growing their businesses.

Have questions about how these developments could affect your company? Contact MyTown Solutions to learn how our payroll, workers’ compensation, staffing and employee-benefit services can help.