I want to thank my clients and other readers of the Texas Employment Law Update for your loyalty and support.  More importantly, I hope that you and your families have a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday.  For my part, our family will be spending a traditional Thanksgiving (traditional for us) with extended family and friends, both a smoked and cajun fried turkey, and as much football as is humanly possible to consume in a single day.  While I won’t be participating, much of my family will brave the Black Friday crowds looking for deals and kicking the holiday season off in full force.

Despite the fact I’ll be enjoying the holiday, employment law and related-matters won’t be far from my mind.

Here are a few Thanksgiving-related employment items for your consumption.

Department of Labor is encouraging retailers to take steps to provide for crowd managment and safety during Black Friday sales.  Additional resources for retailers, employees and shoppers related to Black Friday sales and safety can be found here.

Facts about Texas Employment Law and Thanksgiving.

• Texas has no law requiring employers to provide a day off at Thanksgiving.
• Texas law does not require premium pay for working on holidays like Thanksgiving.
• Employees on FMLA leave may be entitled to the paid Thanksgiving holiday under company policy if the company’s policy provides holiday pay if the employee were on vacation instead of FMLA leave.  

Next week I’ll turn to seven things you should consider adding or confirming are in your employee handbook for 2012.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Follow me on Twitter @RussellCawyer.