If you are a part of the workforce here in Texas, chances are you are paid by one of three methods. You may receive a salary as an exempt employee, or you may be non-exempt and paid either hourly or by a weekly salary. Employees who are exempt are not paid overtime;...
Year: 2012
Texas Wendy’s franchisee settles disability discrimination suit
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 bars discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, as well as in transportation, commercial facilities, state and local government, telecommunications and public accommodations. When it comes to employment, this...
Houston PD may fire sergeant who posted nude photos online
Texas is an at-will employment state. This means that, absent an employment contract, either the employee or the employer can terminate the employment relationship at any time and for any reason--as long as the reason for termination does not violate state or federal...
Derek Boogard’s family says union failed to claim his salary
Houston sports fans likely remember when the NHL's Derek Boogaard died in May 2011 in a drug and alcohol related accident. The hockey enforcer, 28, was one of the league's highest paid players and many were saddened by his untimely death while he was still...
Older, unemployed Houston workers may face barriers to employment
Being suddenly out of work in Houston is rough at any age. But it is doubly so when the laid-off, downsized, or fired employee is older. Older job seekers in Texas and elsewhere frequently face discrimination in hiring on the basis of their age. This is clearly...
Does your Houston employer need an ERISA audit?
Unless you are a human resources professional or you work in employment law here in Houston, you may not have heard that the Department of Labor is planning to ramp up its ERISA audits. ERISA, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, is a set of laws that governs...
Houston company settles retaliation case
Workers in Texas and throughout the country have the right to file discrimination and sexual harassment complaints against their employers. Even if the complaint is eventually dismissed by whomever is asked to investigate it, the worker who filed the complaint cannot...
Company with Houston office settles ERISA pension investigation
Houston residents who have pension plans may or may not know that those plans are governed by the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act. Also known as ERISA, this group of laws requires employers and plan administrators to act in the best interest of...
Survey: most employees don’t know what disability insurance is
According to a recent survey, many workers in Houston may have disability insurance through their employment benefits, but not even know it. Or, they may know they have coverage, but they do not really know much about it. The survey, conducted by the Consumer...
Are unpaid internships legal in Houston?
Many Houston businesses may have interns on their staffs. Interns are often either new to the workforce or new to the particular field, and as such they bring a great amount of energy and willingness to gain work experience. This mindset is especially helpful for...