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On March 18, 2020, President Trump signed the Families First Corona Virus Response Act.  The Families First Act requires small and midsized employers to provide paid sick leave benefits and expanded FMLA leave to employees needing time away from work due to COVID-19 reasons.  While the Act provide others benefits, the FMLA Expansion Act and…

The EEOC updated its employer guidance for handling common employment issues that arise during pandemics to specifically address issues related to COVID-19. The new guidance provide useful answers to many frequently asked questions employers have during this difficult time including:

  • How much information may an employer request from an employee who calls in sick, in

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On March 14, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and Emergency Paid Leave Act of 2020. The Bills, if passed by the Senate, will provide: paid sick leave and unemployment benefits to employees taking leave as a result of COVID-19; expand FMLA eligibility and qualifying reasons for taking…

Employers with 100 or more employees and certain federal contractors have been required to submit EEO-1 reports, identifying the number of employees working in each job category by race, sex and ethnicity, since 1996. In 2016, under the Obama administration, the EEOC proposed revisions to the information required to be reported each year on the…

The City of Dallas passed a paid sick leave ordinance requiring private employers to provide up to 64 hours of paid sick leave to employees working in the City. Barring court intervention, the law will take effect August 1, 2019.  Here are the highlights of the ordinance:

  • Requires employers with 15 or more employees to

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The Texas Legislature ended its session last week without passing a bill that preempts municipalities from passing laws requiring private employers to provide paid sick leave to employees. Consequently, employers in Dallas and San Antonio must prepare for the implementation of the local paid sick leave laws that take effect August 1, 2019.

Dallas, San…

With the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, Congress legalized much, but not all, hemp products containing less than .3 percent THC concentration.  Cannabidiol, or CBD oil, is a hemp product that is touted as having many positive medical and health benefits.  CBD oil may or may not contain THC.  The media reports surrounding the legalization in the Farm Bill and intense marketing efforts of CBD oil distributors has caused some Texas employees to believe that CBD oil and other hemp products are now legal in Texas.  That belief may cause employees to suffer adverse employment consequences and even potential criminal prosecution.
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