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Texas

Employer not liable for acts by independent security staff

08/01/2006

If your organization contracts out security services, the Texas Supreme Court has just handed you a substantial victory that makes it less likely you’ll be liable if your independent-contractor security guard injures someone …

When punishing employees’ use of slurs, equality counts

08/01/2006

The mantra in real estate is "location, location, location." But the mantra in employee discipline must always be "consistency, consistency, consistency" …

Firing employee on workers’ comp may be legal

08/01/2006

Texas law makes it illegal to fire an employee in retaliation for filing a workers’ compensation claim. But that doesn’t mean employees are untouchable just because they’re out on workers’ comp. You can legally discharge injured workers under a reasonable absence-control policy that applies to all employees, regardless of how they were injured or became ill …

You can’t push contract-Breach case to federal court

08/01/2006

If you’re a Texas employer that agrees to settle an on-the-job injury case out of court, be prepared to follow through. If you don’t, you just may find your organization in a less favorable Texas court defending itself against breach-of-contract claims. And that can mean a big, fat award from an angry Texas jury …

Stick to FMLA certification rules, or lose your rights

08/01/2006

Make sure your supervisors (and you) know how to respond when an employee requests leave for his or her own serious illness or a family member’s illness. If you don’t follow the FMLA’s rules on how and when to request written proof about the illness or injury, you lose your right to challenge the employee’s leave request …

Texas court: Prisoners aren’t entitled to the minimum wage

08/01/2006

Compelling a prisoner to work without pay is not illegal, a federal court has ruled in considering a Texas inmate’s request. The prisoner worked in the prison laundry and claimed he should be paid at least the federal minimum wage …

Case study: Look closely at consultants’ motives

08/01/2006

The Texas Insurance Commission filed charges against consulting giant Mercer HR Consulting and its client, the Houston Independent School District, claiming the company had charged the school district $20 million since 2000 and then gave the district more than $800,000 in rebates …

It’s a seller’s job market for recent college grads

08/01/2006

When ranking the number of entry-level professional positions available, Dallas ranks third in the country behind larger markets New York City and Chicago …

Technology workers in demand again in Texas

08/01/2006

According to the Texas Workforce Commission, technology jobs are again experiencing strong growth in Texas after several years of declines …

Texas city provides lesson on background checks

08/01/2006

When the Grand Prairie parks department hired Damon Bryan as a maintenance worker, it asked him about his criminal background. Bryan told them he had a conviction for aggravated assault, but he left out the type of assault. He had been convicted of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl …