Hurricane season begins June 1 for the Texas coast. The Tropical Meteorology Project from Colorado State University predicts in its 2009 Atlantic Seasonal Hurricane Forecast that there will be 12 named storms; 6 hurricanes; and 2 intense hurricanes this year.
Texas law protects most employees who evacuate their homes and work areas in compliance with a government evacuation order. The law
In 2008 the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) was passed. Earlier this year the EEOC issued proposed regulations interpreting GINA and those regulations are expected to be finalized this month. GINA generally prohibits employers from possessing and using genetic information about individuals or from making employment decisions using that information, with several limited exceptions. A number of other
I just returned from Tulane University Law School’s 27th Annual Multi-State Labor and Employment Law Seminar held at the La Cantera resort in San Antonio, Texas. (See brochure here). Attendees and presenters at this conference are some of the finest and most experienced labor and employment lawyers in the country. During my three days at the conference, I did
As we approach local elections, it is good to remember that Texas law may require an employer to provide an employee with paid time off to vote. The Texas Election Code makes it a Class C misdemeanor for an employer to refuse to allow an employee to be absent from work on election day for purpose
For several years the EEOC has enhanced its education and enforcement efforts using existing laws to protect employees with caregiving responsibilities (i.e., caring for children and ill family members). This week the Commission issued guidance for employers it describes as "Best Practices" to assist employees in balancing work and family responsibilities. Best Practices are proactive measures going beyond federal nondiscrimination
Adam Liptak of the New York Times had an interesting preview about an important employment law case scheduled to be argued before the U.S. Supreme Court this month. In Ricci v. Destafano, scheduled for oral argument on April 22, 2009, the Court is being asked to determine whether the City of New Haven’s
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court held that provisions in collective bargaining agreements that clearly and unmistakably require union members to submit statutory discrimination claims to the grievance and dispute resolution provisions of the agreement are binding and enforceable.
In 14 Penn Plaza LLC v. Pyett , a dispute arose over a commercial office building’s reassignment of night watchmen employees
On March 20, 2009 I posted an entry about several leave of absence bills pending in the Texas Legislature. Today I want to highlight a few other bills that will effect Texas employers if passed.
The EEOC recently released the latest statistics detailing the number of charges of discrimination filed in 2008. Last year marked the largest number of charges filed in a single year totaling 95,402 charges of discrimination. While every category of charges increased (and the total increased 15.2 percent over 2007), charges of age discrimination and retaliation increased