DOL Releases Regulations Interpreting Families First Coronavirus Response Act

CLIENT ALERT – April 2, 2020 Yesterday, the Department of Labor released temporary regulations interpreting and explaining the new Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) that went into effect April 1, 2020. The full DOL summary and regulations can be found at the following link: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/WHD/Pandemic/FFCRA.pdf.  In addition, the IRS released guidance regarding the FFCRA […]

Info on Families First Coronavirus Response Act

CLIENT ALERT – March 24, 2020 Updated Information Regarding Families First Coronavirus Response Act As you know from our previous update, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act was passed on March 18, 2020 and goes into effect on April 2, 2020. As we indicated in that update, the Department of Labor is expected to introduce […]

Coronavirus, Employment Laws & the Workplace

CLIENT ALERT – March 19, 2020 What Employers Need to Know  Regarding the Coronavirus Impact on the Workplace COVID-19 (otherwise known as the coronavirus) is rapidly changing the world as we know it.  There are many important and pressing issues arising from the spread of the virus and we encourage you to stay informed via […]

Understanding Background Checks and the Hiring Process

When employers are hiring a new employee, it is common for them to conduct background checks on applicants prior to making an offer or entering into an employment agreement. Yet it is essential for employers to understand what it means to be in compliance with federal and state laws concerning background checks, from gathering information […]

If an Employee Can Only be Fired for Cause, What Situations Apply?

Most employers in Dallas know that Texas is an “at-will” state, which means that employees can be terminated at any time and for any reason as long as the reason is not prohibited by federal or state law. For example, an employer cannot terminate an employee because of that employee’s age, sex, or race (and […]

New Salary Requirements for the White Collar Overtime Exemptions

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) states that “covered employees” must receive overtime pay for those hours worked that exceed 40 hours in one workweek. In fact, the FLSA also outlines the rate of pay – one and one-half times your regular rate of pay. There are some exceptions to this rule.   The FLSA passed […]

Is Depression Covered Under the ADA (Americans With Disabilities Act)?

According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a disability is described as any physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity. Clinical depression is considered a disability under the ADA, yet not everyone who experiences depression is protected.  Business owners should remember that just as no two people are the same, […]

Back to the Basics: What is National Origin Discrimination?

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes it illegal to discriminate, among other protected categories, based on national origin. National origin discrimination means treating people, namely job applicants or employees, adversely because of their country of origin, because of ethnicity or accent, or because they appear to be part of a certain […]

More Females in the C-Suite, but Still No Gender Parity

Gender diversity has been at the forefront of the workplace equality conversation for a number of years. Recently, McKinsey & Company released its detailed 2019 Women in the Workplace Report.   The Women in the Workplace Report found that while the percentage of women in senior leadership roles has grown over the last five years, there […]

Are Employment Handbooks Legally Binding?

Does your employment handbook contain specific language indicating that it should not be considered a contract? If it does not, then your company handbook potentially could be considered a legally binding document between employer and employee.  While rare, an employee handbook can inadvertently create a contract in certain instances. Legally, the key factor in determining […]