The Florida Businesses for a Competitive Workforce coalition is pleased to have the support of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, one of 37 major Florida employers backing the Florida Competitive Workforce Act. House Bill 45 by Rep. Holly Raschein (R-Key Largo) and Senate Bill 120 by Sen. Joe Abruzzo (D-Boynton Beach), commonly referred to as the Competitive Workforce Act, is a bi-partisan measure that will go before state lawmakers during the 2016 Florida Legislative Session, slated to begin Jan. 12, 2016.
While it is illegal to discriminate in employment, housing and public accommodations based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, handicap or marital status, the gay and transgender community is left out of statewide non-discrimination protections. The Competitive Workforce Act would modernize state law to include anti-discrimination protection based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression in the workplace, and in housing and public accommodations. Thirty-seven Florida counties and municipalities have local protections in place for the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) community, but local government ordinances cover only 56 percent of the state’s population.
The Competitive Workforce Act not only has the backing of major Florida employers, including nine Fortune 500 companies, but also more than 400 local businesses in Florida have endorsed the legislation. The coalition believes that the Competitive Workforce Act will make Florida more competitive in the national and global marketplace in much the same way companies have benefitted from adopting anti-discrimination policies.
Want to show your support for the Competitive Workforce Act? Here are some ways you can participate on a personal level:
- Endorse HB 45/SB 120 by signing the online petition by clicking here.
- Contact your local lawmakers to voice your support for the Competitive Workforce Act.
Learn more by visiting Florida Businesses for a Competitive Workforce online at www.FLCompetitiveWorkforce.com or visit the coalition on Twitter and Facebook.