Wage Deductions: Can I Dock Costs from Employee Wages?

Texas employers may be able to make deductions from employee wages under certain circumstances, but it is essential for employers to know that they must do so in compliance with the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the Texas Payday Law. Under federal and state law, certain types of deductions are always permitted, while […]

Minimum Wage and Overtime Exceptions: Understanding the Outside Sales Exemption

Employers in Texas and throughout the U.S. are required to pay employees a minimum wage unless they are exempt. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), there are a wide variety of workers who may be exempt, which means the employer is not required to pay the minimum wage and/or overtime compensation. However, it is […]

When Should We Update Our Employment Handbook and Policies?

It is important for all Texas businesses to have employment handbooks and policies, and to ensure that these materials are updated regularly. You might initially assume that once your company’s employment handbook and workplace policies are created, they only need updating when there are obvious changes to be made. However, a smarter strategy is to […]

Complying with Posting Requirements for Remote Workers

Employers in Texas must comply with requirements to provide employees with notices concerning their rights and workplace safety issues through posters. These posters are designed to provide employees with information about their rights under both Texas state and federal law. Failure to display one or more of the required posters can result in liability for […]

Texas’s New Sexual Harassment Laws- What Employers Should Know

Two employment law bills recently took effect in Texas on September 1, 2021, that expand certain protections for employees in Texas workplaces. The bills, SB 45 and HB 21, expand protections to employees specifically concerning sexual harassment in the workplace under the Texas Labor Code, allowing more employees to have eligibility to file a claim […]

Can an Employer be Held Liable for Pandemic Injuries/Death Under TX Law?

It is important for employers in Texas to understand potential issues of liability pertaining to COVID-19 infections and deaths connected to their businesses or places of employment. Indeed, many employers in Texas have questions about whether they can face lawsuits if an employee or a customer contracts COVID-19 at their business and becomes seriously ill […]

What Employers Need to Know About Texas Firearm Carry Act

Can employers in Texas prevent employees from carrying firearms at the workplace? This is a common question among many employers since the passage of the Firearm Carry Act of 2021, which took effect on September 1, 2021. The law is similar to bills passed in other states that allow individuals to carry firearms without a […]

Understanding “Long COVID” & ADA Disabilities Protections

Many employers in Texas are facing disability accommodation requests from employees related to COVID-19. Some of those accommodation requests concern protections against exposure or spread in the workplace due to the employee’s disability, while others concern the disabilities that the employee has developed as a result of being infected with the coronavirus. It is critical […]

Where’s the Line? What is a “Hostile Work Environment”?

Whether you are taking policy steps at your business to protect against harassment in the workplace or you are facing an employee discrimination claim that alleges a hostile work environment, it can be difficult to know what actually constitutes a hostile work environment. While you might know that a hostile work environment is one in […]

Tips for Crafting Severance Agreements

The prospect of having to tell an employee that they are losing their job is one of the most difficult tasks an employer will face. Employers in Dallas and across Texas often soften the blow by making a severance package part of the termination process. Typically, this will include payment and a severance agreement that […]