Texas Labor and Employment Law Basics

Learn how to comply with Texas employment laws

By Emmet McMahan
Texas labor and employment law basics allow employees to be paid what they deserve and employers to protect their businesses. The primary purpose of these laws is to level the playing field between employees and their employers.

TX labor laws grant specific rights to collective bargaining organizations, also know as labor unions. Federal laws also control the rights of laborers to organize and generally take precedence over Texas's state labor laws. Specific classes of employees, such as domestic workers or agricultural laborers, are generally exempted from federal labor laws. Labor and employment law generally may be categorized into the following three groups:
  1. TX employment laws that deal with wages and benefits. Many states provide a minimum wage that is greater than the federal minimum wage. Texas laws also may offer other protections to workers that are greater than those specified by federal law.
  2. Laws on displaying labor law posters. Texas has specific requirements on the display of labor and employment laws in the workplace.
  3. Workers compensation insurance. Texas also has laws that specify the amount of insurance that employers must carry in the event that their employees are injured at work.

 

Learn about Texas work laws that regulate minimum wage and overtime

According to Texas labor law, businesses must pay their employees the federal minimum wage. Overtime laws generally control what an employee should be paid after 40 hours of work in the same week.
Try: Texas Workforce provides the minimum wage laws that set the minimum wage in Texas to the federal rate. StateOverTimeLaw.US lists the minimum wage in Texas and cites the relevant state law.

Find out how to display posters on Texas work laws

Texas labor law posters keep employees informed of their rights and obligations under federal and state labor laws. Employers must display these posters in the workplace in a visible location where they are easy to read.
Try: iHRSource.com provides the labor law posting requirements for Texas workplaces. The Management Advantage has the Texas labor law posting requirements, including the latest updates.

Provide workers' compensation insurance required by labor laws in Texas

Workers' compensation insurance in Texas protects employees and their families in the event of injury or death of an employee while on the job. Government websites, insurance agencies and labor lawyers in Texas commonly have basic information on workers compensation.
Try: The Texas Medical Association provides extensive information on the workers' compensation claims process in Texas. The Law Offices of Richard Pena offers an overview on workers' compensation insurance in Texas.

 

  • Texas labor laws are guided by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938. This federal legislation establishes minimum wages for most workers, along with specific exceptions. The FLSA was amended in 1974 to cover government employees.