Making the Most of Texas Labor and Employment Law

Protect your business and employees with Texas employment law
By Emmet McMahan The key to making the most of Texas labor and employment law is engaging in fair hiring practices, complying with safety standards and keeping a good work environment. Texas labor law was originally intended to simply improve working conditions for employees, but it also improves the relationship between employers and employees. The resulting increase in productivity also increases profits for owners.

Texas labor laws include regulations on specific issues such as break and lunch periods, employee-to-foreman ratios, job safety and the work environment. Labor laws also must be regularly updated to deal with changes in technology and work requirements.

Texas employment laws can be grouped into the following areas:

1. Overtime laws that govern how employees are to be paid after working their normal work day. These laws are most applicable for suits involving the restoration of overtime pay.
2. Texas work laws that deal with disabled workers, especially with regard to the Americans with Disabilities Act.
3. Tax laws that affect damages earned for emotional distress on lawsuits. Recent changes in these laws mean that any settlement of this type will now be far lower.
   

Stay current on Texas work labor laws

These laws can change frequently and it's essential that you keep up to date in order to protect your business from frivolous lawsuits and understand your rights as an employer.
Try:  The State Bar of Texas maintains an extensive list of resources on labor and employment law in Texas. The Employment Law Advisory Network provides an online version of the Texas Payday law and other resources that relate to employment and labor law.

Study state guidelines to help you comply with Texas labor laws

Texas has official state websites that provide extensive information on employment regulations. There are also many other sites that provide summaries of state employment and labor laws.
Try:  The Texas Workforce Commission offers links to laws and other resources for employment and labor in Texas. Learn more about specific employment and labor laws in Texas using resources at the Official Portal of Texas.

Use attorneys that specialize in Texas work laws

Employment law attorneys can help you understand the often complex laws regarding your employees. Many of these attorneys also provide summaries of these laws on their websites.
Try:  Get a summary of labor laws in Texas at Van Wey & Johnson in Dallas. The Solomon Law Firm in Houston practices employment law in Texas and also offers informational resources on employment law.

• Employers with three or more employees must display mandatory Texas labor law posters. This is required in order to comply with both the United States Department of Labor and Texas Department of Labor. The most common locations for these posters are areas where employees tend to congregate during breaks such as conference rooms, lunch rooms and near time clocks.