By Darien Harris, Elizabeth L. Humphrey, and Tim Watson
Seyfarth Synopsis: Texas has joined a number of other states in prohibiting employers, including healthcare providers, from requiring their workforces to be vaccinated against COVID-19. As a result, employers in Texas must review their vaccination policies and could be faced with tough choices in the event of another significant
Continue Reading Private Sector Employers Face $50,000 Fine for Vaccine Mandates, New Texas Law Says
By Julia Tape and Linda C. Schoonmaker,
Seyfarth Synopsis: Workplace violence costs employers billions of dollars per year. More importantly, these incidents can cause immense physical and psychological harms to employees. The consequences of these harms impact productivity and morale, and can lead to individuals leaving the workforce. Compared to other job sectors, professionals working in the healthcare industry
Continue Reading Texas Takes the Lead in Addressing Workplace Violence in Healthcare Facilities
By Julia Tape, Linda C. Schoonmaker, and Elizabeth L. Humphrey
Seyfarth Synopsis: Natural hairstyles have become increasingly popular among Black Americans of both sexes. Despite their popularity, these hairstyles have been overregulated frequently in the workplace. To address this concern, Texas recently joined the ranks of twenty-one other states in passing the CROWN Act, which prohibits employers from discriminating
Continue Reading Texas Joins Growing Number of States to Ban Natural Hair Discrimination
By Linda C. Schoonmaker and Darien C. Harris
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Dallas County Sheriff’s Department gives its detention officers two days off per week. Prior to April 2019, the schedules were based on seniority, with most officers preferring to take their two days off during the weekend. Sometime in April 2019, the Sheriff’s Department enacted a scheduling policy that
Continue Reading The Fifth Circuit May Broaden Its Definition of What Constitutes An “Adverse Employment Action” For Purposes of a Discrimination Claim. What Will That Mean For Employers?By Jesse M. Coleman and Owen Wolfe
A federal court in Texas recently provided useful insights on what constitutes “solicitation” by a former employee under that employee’s restrictive covenant with his former employer, and the court provided further insights on what inferences courts will, and will not, draw in favor of a plaintiff seeking a preliminary injunction based on alleged
Continue Reading Federal Court Provides Insight on Meaning of “Solicitation” and Plaintiff’s Burden on Motion for Preliminary Injunction
By Linda Schoonmaker and John P. Phillips
Seyfarth Synopsis: Employers in Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio expected the Texas Legislature to overturn their cities’ recent foray into city-specific paid sick leave laws. However, the Texas Legislature recently wrapped-up its legislative session without passing a law curtailing city-specific paid sick leave laws—and the Legislature will not meet again until 2021.
Continue Reading Paid Sick Leave in Texas Survives the Texas Legislature
By Steve Shardonofsky and Brian A. Wadsworth
Seyfarth Synopsis: In a decision that is sure to increase the costs and complexity of litigation, the Texas Supreme Court recently held that a former employee’s common law assault claim was not preempted by the state’s anti-discrimination statute. The Court reasoned that if the gravamen of an employee’s claim is that the employer
Continue Reading Texas High Court Allows Employee to Pursue Assault Claim Against Employer for Tortious Acts of “Vice Principal”