# What to do when your master won't sign off on hours in the state of Florida



## SWDweller (Dec 9, 2020)

I feel the pain, not sure what you going to do. Guessing here when you left you pissed him off.
Making up 2 years is not really an option. Have you filled out the paper work (have lots of copies) so all he has to do is sign? 
I know nothing about Florida law. the legal beagle that you contact was he a specialist in this area?
Have you tried the union where you are for help?


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

Do you have payroll stubs? I would call the board and see what they suggest for you to do. I would go to his office at the beginning of the day or better the end of the day and see what is up


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

My guess is he is pissed at you for something


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

It might be worth it to contact the department that handles apprenticeship. Maybe they will make an uncomfortable phone call to your former employer.


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## MikeFL (Apr 16, 2016)

Your W-2 is what matters.
Does it have the name of an electrical contractor on it as the company you worked for?


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

This is when you need your rainy day fund. For about 2-3k, you can get this dirty deed done dirt cheap. Hit up your local biker club, they'll send a couple of gentlemen to him with your papers 1st thing in the morning, and surround the joint with a lot of large, revving machines operated by people with little or nothing to lose. Believe me, your boss will put everything on the back burner and attend to the matter at hand with all due haste. He'll act as if nothing else matters.

Who knows he migh even decide to reassess his priorities from that point on and totally close up shop and not be your competition, which is what he's trying to prevent you from becoming.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

LGLS said:


> This is when you need your rainy day fund. For about 2-3k, you can get this dirty deed done dirt cheap. Hit up your local biker club, they'll send a couple of gentlemen to him with your papers 1st thing in the morning, and surround the joint with a lot of large, revving machines operated by people with little or nothing to lose. Believe me, your boss will put everything on the back burner and attend to the matter at hand with all due haste. He'll act as if nothing else matters.
> 
> Who knows he migh even decide to reassess his priorities from that point on and totally close up shop and not be your competition, which is what he's trying to prevent you from becoming.


Or they will take the $3000 and say, “Have a nice day”.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

Jryan76 said:


> I've been trying to get my previous employer to sign off on my hours for 6 months now. He says he has no time or I just get stonewalled. I need him to sign off on the past two years so I can take my test. Any suggestions as to what I can do I've already talked to a lawyer and they could not help me. I even had to fight with him get a copy of my W2 so that I could file my 2020 taxes. This guy gives small business a bad name.


You just need your W-2s. If you can't get a letter that you believe you need, when you go to the board with your application, let them know what your problem is. Give them his phone number.
Just give us his phone number, we will call him.
You are trying to better yourself. No one should hold you back.
What city/county are you in?


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## u2slow (Jan 2, 2014)

Check with your trades authority. Up here there's have an affidavit process you can pursue (with proper supporting docs) do deal with exam-challenge-hours, and uncooperative employers.


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## Coppersmith (Aug 11, 2017)

When I was documenting my Florida hours so I could get licensed there were a few employers who never did sign off on my hours. Nothing I could do about it. Some of them I was able to get by making an in-person visit and putting the paper in front of them to sign. In my case, I had more than enough hours even without the one's I couldn't get. It sucks if you have just enough.


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## ohm it hertz (Dec 2, 2020)

Wouldn't your W-2 forms be sufficient?


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

ohm it hertz said:


> Wouldn't your W-2 forms be sufficient?


In NC they want to know what capacity you work in. If you worked for an electrician and drove a truck they wouldn't know squat with a w-2. We have to have so many hours as a helper and so many hours as an electrician running the jobs


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## Jryan76 (May 24, 2021)

SWDweller said:


> I feel the pain, not sure what you going to do. Guessing here when you left you pissed him off.
> Making up 2 years is not really an option. Have you filled out the paper work (have lots of copies) so all he has to do is sign?
> I know nothing about Florida law. the legal beagle that you contact was he a specialist in this area?
> Have you tried the union where you are for help?





99cents said:


> It might be worth it to contact the department that handles apprenticeship. Maybe they will make an uncomfortable phone call to your former employer.


I tried that only for them to tell me there was nothing they could do.


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## Jryan76 (May 24, 2021)

MikeFL said:


> Your W-2 is what matters.
> Does it have the name of an electrical contractor on it as the company you worked for?


Yes


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## Jryan76 (May 24, 2021)

SWDweller said:


> I feel the pain, not sure what you going to do. Guessing here when you left you pissed him off.
> Making up 2 years is not really an option. Have you filled out the paper work (have lots of copies) so all he has to do is sign?
> I know nothing about Florida law. the legal beagle that you contact was he a specialist in this area?
> Have you tried the union where you are for help?


I have not tried the Union because he is not a union contractor


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

Jryan76 said:


> I have not tried the Union because he is not a union contractor


What kind of work did you do for him at that time you need the hours signed off for?


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## Jryan76 (May 24, 2021)

LGLS said:


> What kind of work did you do for him at that time you need the hours signed off for?


I was doing tenant build-out search for eye doctors and dentists


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## Jryan76 (May 24, 2021)

Jryan76 said:


> I was doing tenant build-out search for eye doctors and dentists


I also helped build part of a school for him


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

Jryan76 said:


> I also helped build part of a school for him


AHA! Ok... while you were building part of a school for him, were you entitled to, but not paid prevailing wage, because you were not enrolled in a certrified apprenticeship program allowing a contractor to legally pay you less that the required prevailing wages? You contractor would then be providing you the very document needed to collect your back pay if he admitted in writing that you were an unqualified helper.


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## Jryan76 (May 24, 2021)

The F.E.E.T program is certified by the state of Florida. While working on that school I did not get a prevailing wage and I was still going to the school at that time. When I finish the second semester I did it with a 96 missing three questions on the final and finishing it in 30 minutes something nobody had ever done before and all I got from him was well you don't do Residential anymore.


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

Why do you suspect, if anything, he won't sign off your hours then?


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## just the cowboy (Sep 4, 2013)

Sorry for your loss of hours.
I have said this before and will say it again for those who read this to learn from. 
If any apprentice reads this remember, start now::
Nonunion YOU must keep up on tracking your hours, what you did and how long. Many a person has came on here asking the same thing you are, and most don't get credit for their time. Pay stubs are useless because all stubs say the same thing no matter if you run jobs or clean toilets for the guy.

Cowboy


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## Vladaar (Mar 9, 2021)

I would show up at his office everyday with the papers, a fancy pen and respectfully ask him to sign it until he did. If it takes an apology for leaving or what not, I don't know how he could be so spiteful that eventually he wouldn't sign just to be done with it.

Do you think he would want his current employees seeing that he is screwing you over on signing for your hours? Again be respectful, but having to look at another person in the eye and keep denying them is not that easy, when you know your wrong.


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## just the cowboy (Sep 4, 2013)

99cents said:


> It might be worth it to contact the department that handles apprenticeship. Maybe they will make an uncomfortable phone call to your former employer.


The problem in the states is there is no set of common rules. In states with no formal apprenticeship rules people get jobs learning the trade and think they are an apprentice but are actually a helper. 
Example: In Pennsylvania there is no state license so there is no test out. As long as I can prove to an insurance company I have experience I can do electrical contracting. Some cities like Philadelphia require a local license.
The problem is since I was never licensed and I moved to Colorado I don't have one to transfer. I could of challenged the board since I was a union recognized journeyman that completed an official apprenticeship.

Cowboy


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

just the cowboy said:


> Sorry for your loss of hours.
> I have said this before and will say it again for those who read this to learn from.
> If any apprentice reads this remember, start now::
> Nonunion YOU must keep up on tracking your hours, what you did and how long. Many a person has came on here asking the same thing you are, and most don't get credit for their time. Pay stubs are useless because all stubs say the same thing no matter if you run jobs or clean toilets for the guy.
> ...


Good advice to repeat - and if you scroll down past the reply message box there are 4 more recommended threads on this very subject.


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## 211023 (Apr 22, 2021)

just the cowboy said:


> Sorry for your loss of hours.
> I have said this before and will say it again for those who read this to learn from.
> If any apprentice reads this remember, start now::
> Nonunion YOU must keep up on tracking your hours, what you did and how long. Many a person has came on here asking the same thing you are, and most don't get credit for their time. Pay stubs are useless because all stubs say the same thing no matter if you run jobs or clean toilets for the guy.
> ...


I'm taking pictures of all my paycheck also.


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## Coppersmith (Aug 11, 2017)

In Florida, if you want to be licensed to work on three-phase power jobs, you have to prove that 40% of the hours you are using for your license experience were working on three-phase power. The only way to prove that is to fill out the official experience form and have your employer sign it. If they don't sign, you can't prove.


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## 211023 (Apr 22, 2021)

Coppersmith said:


> In Florida, if you want to be licensed to work on three-phase power jobs, you have to prove that 40% of the hours you are using for your license experience were working on three-phase power. The only way to prove that is to fill out the official experience form and have your employer sign it. If they don't sign, you can't prove.


Good to know. Thanks for it.


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## just the cowboy (Sep 4, 2013)

Kwchrisv said:


> Good to know. Thanks for it.





Coppersmith said:


> In Florida, if you want to be licensed to work on three-phase power jobs, you have to prove that 40% of the hours you are using for your license experience were working on three-phase power. The only way to prove that is to fill out the official experience form and have your employer sign it. If they don't sign, you can't prove.


For me to complete my apprenticeship I HAD to rotate thru the different sections, even though some did not apply. I hated battery/ temp service, meter repair was not the best either.


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## just the cowboy (Sep 4, 2013)

Kwchrisv said:


> I'm taking pictures of all my paycheck also.


Keep a list of what you do and get it signed of regularly but don’t be a pain. My journeyman was able to sign but that was 45 years ago. Take pictures of your work also if it will not get you in trouble. Pay checks only show employment.


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## 211023 (Apr 22, 2021)

just the cowboy said:


> Keep a list of what you do and get it signed of regularly but don’t be a pain. My journeyman was able to sign but that was 45 years ago. Take pictures of your work also if it will not get you in trouble. Pay checks only show employment.


Thanks for these useful tips, I've seen my coworker take pictures all the time. I thought it was for their personal pleasure but I see why now.


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## jlectrics (Apr 17, 2021)

Dennis Alwon said:


> In NC they want to know what capacity you work in. If you worked for an electrician and drove a truck they wouldn't know squat with a w-2. We have to have so many hours as a helper and so many hours as an electrician running the jobs


Also in NC, licensed contractors can't refuse to participate in the verification process. They have to either say yes you did this or no you didn't. If they refuse, the board can contact them. That is, if they are a NC contractor, at least. If they are not, not sure there would be much jurisdiction.

There could be another reason other than that your former employer is upset. It's a lot of hassle to print, sign, mail (some states require original documents), or even if required notarize. Plus, some companies have policies not to confirm anything more than position and salary concerning former employees simply for fear of getting sued. Someone's busy running a business and some former employee wants them to do this for nothing in return. I would suggest before you go legal or anything, that maybe if you can, try to show up with papers in hand to make it easy. Or maybe send him the papers in an envelope, with a pen, and with a return postage paid and printed envelope. Make it super easy so they would have to be a jerk not to sign.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

jlectrics said:


> Also in NC, licensed contractors can't refuse to participate in the verification process. They have to either say yes you did this or no you didn't. If they refuse, the board can contact them. That is, if they are a NC contractor, at least. If they are not, not sure there would be much jurisdiction.
> 
> *There could be another reason other than that your former employer is upset. It's a lot of hassle to print, sign, mail (some states require original documents), or even if required notarize. Plus, some companies have policies not to confirm anything more than position and salary concerning former employees simply for fear of getting sued.* Someone's busy running a business and some former employee wants them to do this for nothing in return. I would suggest before you go legal or anything, that maybe if you can, try to show up with papers in hand to make it easy. Or maybe send him the papers in an envelope, with a pen, and with a return postage paid and printed envelope. Make it super easy so they would have to be a jerk not to sign.


All happy horse sheet, have a form letter very generic that confirms time they worked for you. That is all that is required. It does not say he was a great employee or a slacker just that he worked here.

To not give a letter of time in the trade is affecting a persons earning ability.


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