Employing Interns in Texas

This time of year, many organizations start interviewing potential candidates for summer internships. Internships can be valuable both for interns and business owners. In exchange for work, interns can acquire on the job skills In many organizations, questions will arise over issues such as the number of hours an intern will work and whether or not an intern should be paid. It’s important to note that these decisions are not left up to the organization. The US Department of Labor’s Fair Labor Standards Act addresses this issue and sets criteria that companies must use to determine whether or not an Read more

Simon Paschal March 26, 2018 Employee Handbook Dallas TX, Employment Law Dallas TX, HR Compliance Dallas TX, Legal Blog 414 0 Read more

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Legality of Workplace Monitoring & Surveillance

If you pay employees to do a job and provide a place for them to do it, the assumption is while they’re on the clock, they’ll be doing it. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Employers use workplace surveillance systems not only to be sure employees are working but also to maintain workplace safety, to ensure quality control standards are observed, and to prevent crime. But what about employees’ privacy concerns? What is allowed with regards to workplace monitoring and surveillance? Why Companies Monitor Employees Organizations have more to lose than just productivity. Common concerns involve the following: The potential Read more

Simon Paschal March 13, 2018 Employee Handbook Dallas TX, Employment Law Dallas TX, HR Compliance Dallas TX, Legal Blog 355 0 Read more

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Creating an Office Fraternization Policy

If only good management just involved helping employees be productive. One of the biggest challenges facing leadership is managing the relationships co-workers have with each other. Your business should already have a sexual harassment policy, but that doesn’t cover other types of relationships that may cause problems. Let employees know company expectations for workplace behavior to clarify what is acceptable and what’s inappropriate. Whatever your choice about the acceptability of workplace relationships, you should have a written policy. Fraternization Dangers A fraternization policy is sometimes called a dating policy, because it involves romantic relationships between employees. Some employers think what Read more

Simon Paschal February 20, 2018 Employee Handbook Dallas TX, Employment Law Dallas TX, HR Compliance Dallas TX, Legal Blog 535 0 Read more

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Establishing a Performance Improvement Plan

When an employee fails to live up to your performance requirements, it is in everyone’s best interest to open communication with them to address the situation. A performance improvement plan (PIP), also known as a performance action plan, can be an effective way to allow employees to make changes needed to correct problems, overcome deficiencies, and improve their performance. If necessary, a failed or unsuccessfully completed PIP may also be used as evidence or support in any ultimate disciplinary action, including termination. Ideally, a PIP should only be used to address performance deficiencies. Behavior problems should be addressed through discipline Read more

Simon Paschal February 9, 2018 Employment Law Attorney Dallas TX, Employment Law Dallas TX, HR Compliance Dallas TX, Legal Blog 356 0 Read more

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OSHA’s Injury & Illness Prevention Policy

Workplace injuries and illnesses cost businesses in the United States billions of dollars every year and devastate the lives of the victims and their families. To address this problem, the U.S. Government created the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) in 1970. A year later, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was created. Workplace Injuries and Fatalities Although OSHA has helped decrease the number of occupational injuries and illnesses, workplace injuries are still a serious problem. The DOL’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the following recent workplace accident statistics: Nearly 5,200 U.S. workers were killed on the job in 2016. Read more

Simon Paschal January 26, 2018 Employment Law Dallas TX, Legal Blog 327 0 Read more

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Simon | Paschal PLLC Receives Several Accolades in 2017

It was a busy 2017 and some of the “PR” for the firm fell through the cracks. Now that we have started a new year, we wanted to take a brief moment to highlight some of the accolades from 2017. As a firm, Simon | Paschal PLLC was awarded a “Best of Business Award” by Frisco Style Magazine in the category “Giving Back to the Community.” Business coach Rich Allen and a panel from Frisco Style Magazine selected our firm based on the extensive community service by partners Paul Simon and Dustin Paschal. As part of the award, Simon | Read more

Simon Paschal January 17, 2018 Legal Blog, Press 298 0 Read more

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Texas Holiday Policy

Monday, January 15, 2018 has been designated as a US Federal holiday to commemorate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. While most national, state, and local government offices close in observance of this holiday, many private employers do not. Those who wish to observe this holiday must use paid time off (if they receive this benefit) or take unpaid leave. On that note, we thought this was a good time to discuss Texas holiday laws. Are Paid Holidays Required? There are no federal or state laws requiring Texas employers to observe holidays, and employers Read more

Simon Paschal January 12, 2018 Employment Law Dallas TX, HR Compliance Dallas TX, Legal Blog 967 0 Read more

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DOL Alters Intern Test

With the start of the Trump Administration, we anticipated numerous changes and alterations to employment laws. That expectation has occurred and we have already seen several changes, including adjustments to the joint employer test and relaxed NLRB guidance regarding employee handbooks. The changes continued on January 5, 2018. On that day, the Department of Labor issued a press release in which it indicated it was abandoning the previous six-part test used to determine whether an intern is subject to federal minimum wage and overtime laws (i.e., whether the intern is classified as an “employee” under the FLSA). Read more

Simon Paschal January 8, 2018 Employment Law Dallas TX, HR Compliance Dallas TX, Legal Blog 802 0 Read more

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Performing Applicant Background Checks in Texas

Texas Background Check Laws Employers make huge investments in their employees. Therefore, it is in their best interest to thoroughly evaluate applicants to the fullest. Increasingly, this evaluation process may include a background check, to determine if the applicant has a criminal record. This becomes especially important when the candidate will be exposed to sensitive information, high-value assets, or vulnerable populations. But, there are limits to what employers can do. So, what can an employer do to check out prospective employees without violating their rights? Are Some Employers Required by Law to Perform a Background Check? Most employers can perform Read more

Simon Paschal December 19, 2017 Employment Law Dallas TX, HR Compliance Dallas TX, Legal Blog 1162 0 Read more

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NLRB Takes Action to Reverse Previous Decisions

Yesterday, December 14, 2017, the National Labor Relations Board issued two decisions particularly important to employers. In the first decision, the NLRB overturned the 2015 decision, Browning-Ferris Industries. In that decision, the Obama-era NLRB decided that indirect control of an employee could constitute a joint-employer relationship. As a result of yesterday’s decision, however, a company is deemed a joint employer only if there is proof that the employer exercised direct control over employment terms of the employee at issue. Despite the NLRB’s decision yesterday to overturn the 2015 Browning-Ferris Industries decision, Browning-Ferris is still pending as a case at Read more

Simon Paschal December 15, 2017 Employment Law Dallas TX, HR Compliance Dallas TX, Legal Blog 785 0 Read more