AWA Insurance

Memorial Day is coming up this weekend, and we celebrate all those who have served and didn't come home.
What better way to celebrate than a Southwest Florida golf tournament with Teen Challenge Southeast Region-Fort Myers, FL
Today we partnered with others locally to help raise money for new work out facilities in the men's dormitories. We are blessed to have an organization like this in the local community heping young men and women through the battle of addiction. If you feel you can help in this cause, please reach out to David Hunter II!

DOES YOUR BUSINESS HIRE TEENS FOR THE SUMMER?
If your business will hire employees under the age of 18 this summer, here are the ten things you need to know:

Teens must be at least 14 years old to work in Florida.
No special documentation or permission is needed for your business to hire an employee under 18. Parents do not have to give permission for their child to work for your business, nor do you need to get a special work permit.
You should keep a copy of their driver’s license or birth certificate as proof of their age.
You have to post a Child Labor poster at your workplace if you have employees under 18.
Minors under 18 working at a business owned by their parents have no restrictions on the number of hours they can work, but they cannot work in a job that is considered hazardous.
Employees under 18 cannot work as delivery drivers or operate a motor vehicle as a regular part of their job. 17-year-olds may drive for work but only occasionally and not routinely.
No one under 18 can prepare or serve alcoholic beverages on the job.
16- and 17-year-olds can work in residential construction if they have an OSHA 10 certification and are directly supervised by someone 21 or older who has at least 2 years of related experience and who has their OSHA 10 certification.
Some construction jobs are considered too dangerous for employees under 18. No one under 18 can work on roofs, scaffolding, or ladders higher than 6 feet. They also are prohibited from doing demolitions, wrecking, or excavation. They cannot install or service TV/cable/satellite equipment and cannot service HVAC equipment attached to roofs. They also cannot work around toxic substances including pesticides or herbicides.
Teens aged 14 to 17 can work additional hours during the summer. See below for the restrictions by age group:
During the summer, 14- and 15-year-olds:

Can work up to 8 hours a day and up to 40 hours a week.
Cannot work more than 40 hours a week.
Can only work between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m.
Cannot work more than 6 days in a row.
Must be given a 30-minute break after working 4 consecutive hours. The break does not have to be paid.
During the summer, 16- and 17-year-olds:

Can work unlimited hours.
Can work unlimited days in a row.
Can work more than 40 hours in a week but must get overtime pay (time and a half) for all hours over 40 they work.
Must get a 30-minute break after working 4 consecutive hours only if their shift is 8 or more hours. The break can be unpaid.

More resources like this are available on Florida United Businesses Association website

Florida United Businesses Association Florida United Businesses Association (FUBA) is a lobbying and trade association representing small businesses in the state of Florida.

Fun times with the wives, customers, and other contractors at the 2026 NUCA of Southwest Florida fishing tournament this year!

AWA Insurance was happy to support the 2026 NUCA of Southwest Florida offshore fishing tournament, fishing on Reel Easy with with RAZ Construction, Thompkins Contracting, and Earth Tech Enterprises. All night fishing is better than any day at work. ;) Thanks for a great, well run event at Ft. Myers Beach this year!

We were blessed with a visit yesterday from Auto-Owners Insurance Andrea Lindemeyer, Executive VP; Marcy Sandusky Winegarden, RVP; Sean Rutherford; Blake Gershowitz; Aaron Zabriskie; and our underwriter, Jared Pratt, as they awarded the AWA team with our fifth Sapphire agency award! We appreciate this award, but our customers are the main beneficiaries of this partnership. A big thanks to Auto-Owners and our customers!

Today we supported and celebrated Kids Day with Tampa Bay Lightning and Lightning Hockey Development at Benchmark International Arena. What a great host, and what a great win! Thanks for making it a special day for all the kids.

What a great evening last night at the local FCA Gala, raising awareness about how coaches can positively affect young people's lives, as Tony Dungy and James Brown shared their testimony and experience in life and professional sports.

Hard work, great coaching, dedicated parents, and talented hockey players sum up the weekends results with a 10U State Championship! Congratulations 10U Florida Warriors Youth Hockey team! Big thanks to Auto-Owners Insurance for their support this year!

Thank you to Dusty Gartner for inviting us to be a part of the The Business of U event at City First Church in Cape Coral today. The event was truly inspiring, uplifting, and incredible. Being surrounded by such dedicated business owners and leaders is why we love what we do. Being able to recognize Esther H Wong as one of our own is priceless. Thank you again; we're already looking forward to next year!

Congratulations are in order for the Florida Warriors Youth Hockey 10u Team on securing third place in their regular season state conference, out of 14 teams! They dominated the day with a sweep, winning both games at Pembroke Pines Ice Arena. The team finished with a 15-3 league record and will now prepare for the state tournament February 27- March 1st. Great job coaches, parents and players!