On November 10, 2023, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed into law Senate Bill 7, which prohibits private employers in Texas from imposing vaccine mandates that require employees and/or contractors to obtain a COVID-19 vaccine....more
12/20/2023
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Employment Policies ,
Florida ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Labor Reform ,
Texas ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
On October 11, 2023, the Fifth Circuit issued the first decision applying its broadened standard for Title VII claims in Narayanann v. Midwestern State University. The unanimous three judge panel ruled that a Malaysian...more
As a result of a recent Fifth Circuit decision, some employers in Texas will now face a tougher hurdle when defending against Title VII disparate treatment discrimination claims in federal court. The United States Court of...more
The State of Texas infrequently regulates the workplace. This summer, however, Texas enacted two notable workplace laws about which employers should be aware....more
7/10/2023
/ Dress Codes ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Federal v State Law Application ,
Hairstyle Discrimination ,
Labor Code ,
Labor Reform ,
New Legislation ,
Non-Discrimination Rules ,
Preemption ,
Regulatory Authority ,
State Constitutions ,
State Labor Laws ,
Texas
This week, we examine best practices for crafting flexible work arrangement policies. Requests to continue working remotely or with flexibility remain high as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Crafting Flexible Work...more
On Monday, October 11, 2021, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued Executive Order GA-40 (the “Order”) prohibiting vaccine mandates by any entity. The Order, which was effective upon issuance, states: “No entity in Texas can...more
In the wake of the #MeToo movement, Texas joins a growing number of states enacting legislation that enhances employee protections against sexual harassment in the workplace. Effective September 1, 2021, any Texas employer...more
8/23/2021
/ #MeToo ,
Anti-Harassment Policies ,
Corporate Culture ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Harassment ,
Hostile Environment ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State Labor Laws ,
Texas
Texas has undertaken one of the earliest and most expansive initiatives to reopen businesses throughout the state....more
On Monday, April 27, 2020, Governor Gregory Abbott announced Phase One of his much anticipated plan to reopen Texas, while minimizing the spread of COVID-19. ...more
The Texas Workforce Commission (“TWC”), the agency responsible for administering unemployment benefits and assessing unemployment taxes, recently adopted a rule (“Rule”) pursuant to which certain workers who provide services...more
7/22/2019
/ ABC Test ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Digital Marketplace ,
Economic Realities Test ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Independent Contractors ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
State Labor Laws ,
Texas ,
Unemployment Insurance ,
Wage and Hour ,
Websites
On April 24, 2019, Dallas became the latest and third Texas city to pass an Ordinance (“Law”) requiring private employers to provide paid sick leave to their employees. The Law is scheduled to take effect on August 1, 2019,...more
6/11/2019
/ Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) ,
Earned Sick Time ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Local Ordinance ,
Notice Requirements ,
Paid Leave ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Sick Leave ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour