Does Remote Work Increase Risk of Wage/Hour Claims?
The onset of COVID-19 in the United States has resulted in many workplaces shifting to a partial or completely remote workplace, which means that many employees are now working from home when they were not prior to the pandemic. Shifting to a work-from-home model can have many complications for employers, including wage and hour issues. […]
Simon | Paschal Says: A Time for HeaRt
This may seem like a funny thing to hear employment lawyers say, but now more than ever it is time for Human Resources to truly exhibit HeaRt. Our capitalization and bolding of the word heart are intentional because as the great Michael Scott would say, “HR is in the word.” 2020 has been a tough […]
Personnel Actions: Layoffs & PTO
As businesses and employers are getting a better handle on their staffing needs after several roller coaster months of COVID-19, the fortunate businesses are facing decisions about bringing people back to work who had previously been laid off and also addressing paid time off of employees that may not have utilized much of it. With […]
Election Season Considerations
2020 is the year that everything that could possibly happen…happened. It seems only normal, then, that 2020 is also the year of a U.S. Presidential election. No matter where you stand as an HR professional on the political spectrum, you must navigate the election season in the workplace. With that in mind, let’s discuss just […]
Lawsuit Claims Violation of FFCRA
Employers in Texas should be aware of a recent lawsuit in which an employee alleged that her employer violated the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). Even if you are an employer that is too large to be covered by the FFCRA, this lawsuit is particularly important for you to learn about in more detail. […]
Can Employers Require Employees to Self-Quarantine?
If you own a business and you are preparing to bring employees back to work in-person in the Dallas area, or if you already have employees working in-person at your business, you may have questions about your rights as an employer based on COVID-19 exposure and risks. In other words, you might be wondering whether […]
How Does Sabine Pilot Service v. Hauck Apply to Current Legal Issues?
In 1985, the Supreme Court of Texas decided the case of Sabine Pilot Service, Inc. v. Hauck. The ruling has become a significant one for employers in Texas because it concerns an employee who filed a claim against his employer after he refused to commit an illegal act. The Texas Supreme Court established a limited […]
Are Employers Required to Provide Appropriate PPE for Employees?
If you own a business in Dallas and have employees, you probably have a wide variety of questions about your responsibilities as an employer during the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued recommendations for safe in-person workplaces that include personal protective equipment (PPE), depending upon the type of […]
California Attorney General Says Rideshare Drivers are Employees, Not Independent Contractors
If you are an employer in Texas who hires independent contractors with any frequency, or even on a temporary basis, you should be paying attention to the rideshare lawsuit in California. As outlined in a recent article in The New York Times, California sued Uber and Lyft, two prominent rideshare companies, alleging that they have […]
Are There Notice Requirements for Laying Off or Furloughing Employees?
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many employers in Dallas and across Texas have had to contend with severe economic losses. As a result of business closures and lost revenue, many employers in Dallas have had to furlough or lay off employees. We know that this is an incredibly difficult process for many employers, and we also […]
