Houston Employment Law Blog
Produce workers describe appalling working conditions
Federal law generally requires employers in Texas and around the country to pay their employees at least $7.25 per hour, but many produce workers in the Rio Grande Valley are receiving less than half of this amount according to a local advocacy group. Texas Rio Grande...
How to pursue a wage and hour violation claim
Most workers in Texas and throughout the country are covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act. The FLSA mandates that workers are paid a minimum wage and receive overtime pay when working more than 40 hours in a week. If an employer fails to abide by these rules, it...
Gender pay gap can affect freelancers as much as employees
When you own your own business, you get to choose how much you charge for services. While you may think that this can give you the power to fight unequal pay, a new study shows that even solo entrepreneurs and freelancers have a gender pay gap. Business management...
Low-paid workers are often the primary victims of wage theft
It’s been called the crime hardly anyone talks about, and it’s hurting countless workers across America. According to the Economic Policy Institute, more than 2 million people have lost approximately $8 billion in yearly income from wage theft at the hands of...
Is my employer taking advantage of my benefits plan?
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) protects employees who receive welfare or retirement benefits from their employers. Specifically, ERISA protects your savings from abuse and entitles you to information about your plan. But sometimes, employers fail...
Understanding ERISA’s Mental Health Parity Act
Mental health struggles have become an epidemic in the U.S. In Texas specifically, one out of five adults will experience a mental health issue this year. Sadly, more than 20% of children ages 9-17 are already diagnosed with mental health problems. Being that...
How to determine if a salary is fair
Employees in Texas and throughout the country may be curious to know if they are being paid the same as colleagues who perform similar jobs. However, it is generally not acceptable to simply ask people to talk in detail about their annual salaries. Instead, it is a...
You can obtain benefits, regardless of subjective symptoms
A disabling condition can change your life. Not only can it physically drain you, but it can cause you a considerable amount of emotional and financial stress as well. It can keep you out of work and from participating in the activities you love. Your rights under the...
Labor Department raises overtime threshold for salaried workers
A decision from the U.S. Department of Labor has made it possible for 1.3 million more salaried workers to collect overtime pay. The federal government has lifted the salary threshold for mandatory overtime pay to $35,568. In 2016, the Obama administration had set the...
The potential consequences of an ERISA violation
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act provides several protections for those who receive benefits from their employers. For example, Houston companies that are covered by ERISA must tell employees how a retirement plan or pension is funded or what its key...
