Essential workers still on the job are entitled to appropriate protection from their employers, just as construction workers are entitled to hard hats and gloves to avoid injury. Below, we discuss the personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements for essential workers related to coronavirus, as well as general PPE requirements for all employers in hazardous industries…..
What Are the Families First Coronavirus Act and Emergency FMLA?
The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt the normal operations of many businesses around the country, along with just about every other aspect of our lives. Many companies have suffered losses and have been forced to furlough employees, cut pay, and even conduct layoffs. These hardships have not, however, stripped employees of their legal rights…..
Tremain Artaza: Members of Texas Employment Lawyer’s Association
Supreme Court: Job Discrimination Laws Don’t Protect Church-School Teachers
This year has been a mixed bag for supporters of civil rights and anti-discrimination laws. In a surprisingly progressive decision, the Supreme Court of the United States recently ruled that Title VII protects workers against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Unfortunately, not every Supreme Court decision goes the way it should. Just a month later, the Court seriously undercut the field of anti-discrimination laws by finding that religious schools are essentially exempt….
Supreme Court Rules Title VII Protects LGBTQ+ Workers
The United States Supreme Court recently made history by issuing a landmark decision expanding workplace civil rights protections to gay, lesbian, and transgender individuals. The Court’s decision provides the Texas LGBTQ+ community federally-guaranteed legal protections against on-the-job discrimination, including discriminatory hiring decisions and discriminatory terminations, for the first time ever….
Colorado: Pot Use is Still a Valid Ground for Termination
Several states and cities have passed legislation to legalize marajuana. Whether this changes the legal landscape for employees, however, has been far from clear. Colorado's ruling is one of the first to interpret the new marajuana laws in the employment context. The result? When it comes to firing an employee, the law hasn't really been affected…..
Muslim Woman Denied Job Over Head Scarf Wins in Supreme Court
Supreme Court Paves the Way for Pregnancy Accommodations
This morning, the United States Supreme Court handed down its decision in Young v. United Parcel Service (Case No. 12-1226). The case addressed whether, and in what circumstances, employers are required to provide workplace accommodations for pregnant employees with medical limitations. Seems obvious, right? Wrong. Workplace accommodations are required for employees who are disabled under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADAAA). Common accommodations include: flexible work schedules, tele-commuting, intermittent leave, and ergonomic work space furniture. But pregnancy is not a "disability" under the ADA…..