Florida minimum wage: Lawmakers move forward with bill to lower pay for trainees

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida lawmakers are advancing bills that would allow employers to pay certain workers in training below the minimum wage for up to 12 months. 

Fair compensation or working on the cheap?

What we know:

On Tuesday, both the Florida House and Senate advanced bills that would exempt certain workers in on-the-job training from the state’s voter-approved minimum wage law. 

he House Careers & Workforce Subcommittee voted 12-4 along party lines to support HB 541, while the Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee approved a similar measure, SB 676. The bills would allow employers to pay workers involved in work-study, internships, or other training programs below the minimum wage, but only for up to 12 months.

What we don't know:

The specifics of how the exemption would be implemented in various industries remain unclear. It’s also uncertain how widespread the program could become if the bills pass, especially if business owners were to take advantage of the exemption by categorizing many employees as "interns" or "work-study" participants. 

The overall impact on workers’ income and the number of workers who would voluntarily accept sub-minimum wage pay for training is also uncertain.

The backstory:

The proposal is a response to concerns that the state’s current minimum wage law, which gradually increases to $15 an hour by 2026, makes it difficult for employers to provide adequate job training. Under current law, certain exemptions already exist, such as allowing employers to pay sub-minimum wages to workers under age 20 during their first 90 days of employment and students in vocational programs. This new proposal seeks to extend these exceptions for employees involved in work-based learning opportunities, such as internships and apprenticeships.

Big picture view:

The proposal reflects ongoing tensions between workers’ rights and the needs of businesses in a post-pandemic economy. Supporters argue that the ability to pay below the minimum wage would help small businesses attract and train skilled workers, while opponents fear it could lead to widespread exploitation of workers. The larger debate centers on how to balance fair compensation with opportunities for job training, especially for younger and entry-level workers in a competitive labor market.

What they're saying:

House bill sponsor Ryan Chamberlin, R-Belleview, argued, "The answer to why people would choose this is if they see value outside of the pay. They see an opportunity to gain some experience that they otherwise would not be able to gain."

Florida AFL-CIO lobbyist Rich Templin voiced concerns: "You literally would be allowing business owners to make all of their employees an intern or a work-study... and anybody that wants to work there would have to sign this (minimum wage) waiver."

Rep. Mike Caruso, R-Delray Beach, defended the bill. "It’s not open to the McDonald’s of the world, as I see it... And we still have the baseline of the federal minimum wage. So they won’t be working for nothing."

Tim Nungesser, legislative director for the National Federation of Independent Business in Florida, explained, "States are looking for ways to get more skilled workers, and one of the ways that we can do that is with this voluntary program."

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