A Houston-based multinational energy company has been accused of discriminating against one of its former workers in a complaint filed on June 24 in the Harris County District Court. The 66-year-old Brazoria County resident alleges in his litigation that the Phillips...
Year: 2019
Why it can be hard to diagnose fibromyalgia
If you don't suffer from fibromyalgia, you might not understand the condition. Since it's largely invisible and there's no single, known source, some people may question if it even exists. But if you suffer from fibromyalgia, you know the pain and fatigue are real....
ERISA: What it is and how it impacts millions of workers
There is a lot to keep track of when it comes to understanding the health and retirement plans your job offers. Thick bundles of documents show up in your mailbox, links to plan information clutter your email, and you get to sort through it all. Employers don’t just...
What to do about a mental health issue at work
Some people in the Houston area who face mental health crises might wonder whether they should share any information about it with an employer. One man who did so was a professor at the University of North Carolina, and his department head had a degree in counseling....
When will pay equity arrive for Texas women?
Laws about equal pay for equal work regardless of gender have been on the books for years. But for Texas women specifically, the question of pay equity remains a difficult one. Last year a study by the Dallas Women's Foundation reported that if things continue the way...
Companies show signs of working to address pay inequities
Pay inequities due to gender, race and more have long affected employees across Texas and the U.S. While the pay gap due to gender has narrowed slightly since the 1980s, it has made little progress over the past 15 years. According to the Pew Research Center, in just...
Understand your legal rights if you are denied overtime
Many Texans rely on overtime pay as a significant portion of their income. If an employee works beyond 40 hours in a workweek and gets paid hourly, they should receive overtime. Unfortunately, there are employers who will deprive workers of these wages by using...
Pay inequality in the workplace: what do the statistics suggest?
Most women would likely attest that they work at least as hard as men do to achieve their occupational position. And despite the hours of study, financial loans and sacrifice that you dedicated to your profession, you still might not receive equal pay for performing...
ERISA and the Supreme Court: 4 cases that could affect you
The longer you work and the more money you invest in your retirement account, the more you want to make sure it’s safe and protected. To that end, the government introduced the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). ERISA protects your benefits plans....
Should you accept a lump-sum pension buyout?
Would you rather have monthly income through the rest of your life or a big check now that you can use and invest for yourself? If you haven’t already had to face this question, a recent decision from the Treasury Department has increased the chances...