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...
Year: 2019
Working mandatory overtime
In most states, including Texas, many employers are allowed to demand that their employees work overtime hours. Not only does federal law allow for mandatory overtime for employees 16 or older, but Texas law contains no prohibitions on mandatory overtime except with...
ERISA sets standards for operation of employer-sponsored benefits
Nongovernmental, private-industry employers in Texas that choose to sponsor employee benefits, such as health insurance and retirement plans, must comply with the laws established by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. The laws within ERISA were meant...
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...
The energy sector has a pay equity problem
It is common knowledge that women in general do not earn the same amount as their male counterparts. According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, “women, on average, earn less than men in nearly every single occupation for which there is sufficient earnings...