Christopher Charles Sharp

I am Board Certified by the Florida Bar in Labor & Employment Law and have more than 27 years of experience protecting the rights of employees in the workplace and helping them recover their wages when they are not paid by their employers. During my career I have settled or successfully tried hundreds of cases on behalf of employees in Florida's state and federal courts. In addition to discrimination and unpaid wage/overtime claims, my firm also specializes in representation of local, state and federal government employees on disciplinary matters, EEO/retaliation claims and disability issues arising under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Initial consultations are free for most types of cases and contingency representation will be considered where appropriate and depending on the type of case. My firm can handle cases anywhere in Florida (or nationwide for federal employee EEOC or MSPB administrative hearings) but most of my clients are from Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties. Feel free to contact me if you have questions about a workplace rights issue or if you have threatened with, or been a victim of, unfair or unlawful treatment by your employer.

Temple University Beasley School of Law

J.D. (1993)

1990 - 1993

Activities: Co-Editor-in-Chief, Temple Political & Civil Rights Law Review

University of Delaware

B.A. (1990) | Philosophy

1985 - 1990

Honors: Cum Laude

Shareholder

Sharp Law Firm, P.A.

2007 - Current

Attorney

Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler

2004 - 2007

Shareholder

Christopher C. Sharp, P.A.

1998 - 2004

Attorney

Law Offices of David T. Azrin, P.A.

1997 - 1998

Attorney

The Amlong Firm

1993 - 1997

Labor and Employment Law

The Florida Bar

2001

The Florida Bar  # 0996858

Member

Current

National Employment Lawyers Association

Member

Current

National Lawyers Guild

Member

Current

Florida

The Florida Bar

ID Number: 996858

Since 1994

11th Circuit

Since 1997

Federal Circuit

Since 2011

United States District Courts for the Southern, Middle and Northern Districts of Florida

• Free Consultation
• Credit Cards Accepted
• Contingent Fees

Q. Can my criminal background stop me from getting a job at Dollar General as a cashier

August 6, 2021

A: Although you were applying for a private sector job, Florida law prohibits state and local agencies from denying a person a license, permit, or certificate to engage in a particular profession or industry based on a prior conviction, unless the conviction was for a crime that was felony or first-degree misdemeanor and the offense is directly related to the type of work the person will do if hired for the position. The law also creates special rules for certain drug offenses.

In the private sector, however, Florida law actually gives an incentive and broad discretion to consider an applicant's criminal record. Like most states, Florida allows people who are injured or harmed by an employee's misconduct to sue the employer for what is called "negligent hiring." This is a claim that the employer should have known that the employee posed a risk of injury. In Florida, employers can avoid being dues for negligent hiring if they conduct a background investigation before hiring employees, including a criminal records check. If the employer conducts a background check with a job applicant's consent, it is usually protected from future lawsuits if the the check didn't uncover any red flags or information reasonably demonstrating that the employee was unfit for the job or employment in general). Employers aren't required to conduct background checks in Florida, but they are only legally protected from negligent hiring lawsuits is they conduct a criminal records check on all potential employees. Unless the employer is using the background checks to selectively exclude certain classes of people from employment -- which could amount to unlawful discrimination depending on the facts and circumstances -- the routine use of background checks does not generally give rise to any legal claims for failure-to-hire under Florida or federal law. ... Read More

Q. I was recruited by a company and after starting forced to sign a non compete months later. I worked there for 3 years .

August 6, 2021

A: I agree with Charles for the most part although with one caveat. If it appears that the company is selectively enforcing the non-compete clause only against black employees but not white employees, there could potentially be a claim for race discrimination in contracting under federal law or a potential defense to attempted enforcement of any non-compete. But as Charles said, these are usually fact-intensive situations, so the best advice would be to talk to a local lawyer and have them review all of the facts and circumstances of your particular case.