After taking time off from work under this law, I was one of many people laid off by my employer. Is this legal?
The law says that your employer cannot fire you or punish you because you took off time from work to address your domestic violence issues. However, your employer can still fire you or punish you for other valid reasons (such as budget cuts, not doing your job well, or reasons that have nothing to do with your domestic violence situation).1
Note: Sometimes, an employer will offer a “fake” reason for firing someone to hide the real reason. If you have facts or evidence that: (1) your employer is not being truthful about why s/he fired you, and (2) that the real reason s/he fired you was because you took off time for domestic violence issues, then you might want to contact an attorney who specializes in employment discrimination or the Florida Commission on Human Relations.
1 Fla. Stat. § 741.313(5)(c)