Texas courts routinely look to and take guidance from federal law when evaluating claims under the Texas Commission on Human Rights Act. The TCHRA is the Texas state law that prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of disability (and other status) and requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities.
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U.S. Supreme Court Invalidates Arbitration Agreements of Interstate Truck Drivers
Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated the arbitration agreements that an interstate trucking company had with its independent contractor drivers. That case arose in the context of a class action wage and hour lawsuit brought by a group of independent contractor interstate truck drivers alleging that they were not properly paid. The company
Fifth Circuit Affirms Summary Judgment for Employer in Transgender Title VII Case
In Wittmer v. Phillips 66 Company, the Fifth Court of Appeals affirmed a trial court’s summary judgment in favor of Phillips 66 on a claim of employment discrimination based on transgender status. While affirming the judgment for the employer, the Court wrote to reject the district court’s summary conclusion that Title VII prohibited employment
Supreme Court Enforces Arbitration Agreement that Prohibits Class Action Arbitration
I’m traveling for work this week but today’s Supreme Court opinion is one I have been waiting for all term. In Epic Systems v. Lewis, the Court held that arbitration agreements between employees and employers that require mandatory arbitration of disputes can also require that all disputes be arbitrated individually and not as a
El Paso Court of Appeals Clarifies Fiduciary Duty At-Will Employees Owe to Employers
In Texas, absent a valid noncompete, an at-will employee is generally free to compete with the former employer so long as the employee does not take or use the company’s confidential information or trade secrets. Notwithstanding this general rule, employees also have common law fiduciary duties that limit what activities they can engage in prior to resigning employment. The level of fiduciary duty owed to the company will depend on the duties and responsibilities of the employee and the position within the company. Employees may generally make preparations to compete while still employed by a company but cannot actively compete while still employed. What constitutes preparing to compete versus actively competing can often be a blurry line. A recent case from the El Paso Court of Appeals helps to bring the line into focus.
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Fifth Circuit Holds That Telecommuting Not a Reasonable Accommodation Because Regular In-Office Work Was Essential Job Function of Litigation Attorney
In Credeur v. State of Louisiana, an attorney working as a litigator with the attorney general’s office experienced health issues related to a kidney transplant. The Office of the Attorney General allowed Credeur to work from home temporarily while she was recovering from her transplant surgery. After several months of telecommuting, the Office of
Employers Using Fluctuating Workweek Method of Overtime Compensation Should Memorialize Understandings in Writing
In Texas, an employer can satisfy its overtime obligation to nonexempt employees whose hours fluctuate from week-to-week and are paid on a salary basis, by using the fluctuating workweek (FWW) method of overtime compensation. Under the FWW, a nonexempt employee who has hours of work which fluctuate from week to week may be paid a
Fifth Circuit Affirms Summary Judgment For Drilling Company in WARN Case
With the drop oil prices several years ago, many energy companies conducted reductions in force. Some of those headcount reductions triggered litigation under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN). WARN requires employers with 100 or more full time employees conducting plant closings and mass layoffs to provide at least 60 days advance notice
Fifth Circuit Holds Employer’s No Photography Rule Violated the NLRA but Other Standard Policies Were Lawful
Last week the Court reviewed, and largely reversed, a National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB or Board) order finding that four policies contained in a Company’s employee handbook violated the National Labor Relations Act (the Act). The case is important because the challenged policies are similar to policies contained in many employee handbooks. Moreover, an employee
Texas Supreme Court Holds Defendant Attorney Fee Data Not Normally Discoverable
In many employment disputes, the recovery of reasonable attorney’s fees is an element a prevailing plaintiff-employee can recover. Some plaintiffs attempt to show the reasonableness of their counsel’s rates and fees by comparing it to the rates and amounts billed by the employer’s counsel. In In re National Lloyds Ins. Co., et al., the