TB Robison Law Blog

Three current or former deputies for a constable’s office in Harris County have filed a lawsuit accusing their employer of sexual harassment and other serious workplace misconduct. According to the lawsuit, which was filed in a Houston federal court, the three women were all brought onto the force in order to help deter human trafficking. The…

Like most states, Texas is an “at-will” employment state. This means that for most types of jobs, an employee can quit a job at any time for any reason, and an employer can fire an employee at any time for any reason, so long as no exception applies. Understanding these exceptions is important, both to…

People in Houston with a disability often still must earn an income to support their families. Moreover, having a job is a source of pride for many. However, in the past employers would not hire or would lay off a worker with a disability. For this reason, the federal American with Disabilities Act was enacted to prohibit…

In April 2020, Venessa Guillen, a 20-year-old woman and an Army Specialist went missing from Fort Hood, Texas. More than two months later, her corpse was discovered several miles away from Fort Hood. She was allegedly murdered by another soldier. During the course of the investigations, it was discovered that she was sexually harassed on two occasions…

Federal and state employment laws prevent employers from taking adverse action against an employee for discriminatory reasons. Employees who are subjected to workplace discrimination may file a lawsuit against their employer for damages. A professor in the Department of Teacher and Bilingual Education has filed a discrimination lawsuit against her employer, Texas A&M-Kingsville. The Mexican-American, Spanish-speaking professor…

In a tough economy, workers need to be wary of possible wage theft violations by their employers, which are illegal under both federal and Texas state law regarding fair wage and overtime pay. Although employees are classified either as exempt or nonexempt under these laws, employers do not always understand how the law applies to…

Hostile workplace sexual harassment is a type of sexual harassment prohibited under the law. Workers and victims of this type of sexual harassment should be familiar with what it is and how they are protected against it. What is considered a hostile workplace? Hostile workplace sexual harassment is a potentially actionable type of sexual harassment…

A whistle-blower is generally defined as a person who informs and exposes another person or organization engaged in illegal activity. Whistle-blowers are often subject to a form of retaliation by the people or organizations they are informing on. Retaliation can be in the form of blacklisting, firing, even threats of physical violence. Whistleblowers are protected…

Unfortunately, sexual harassment in the workplace has not gone away during the pandemic. Workplaces and workers are still impacted by sexual harassment and should know how to spot it in this new environment and how they are protected against it. Workplace protections against sexual harassment Just as workplace sexual harassment has not gone away, the…

Members of the black legislative caucus are introducing a bill targeting hair discrimination. The Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act would make it illegal for a person to be denied employment or educational opportunity because of the texture or style of their hair. The Act’s language specifically mentions locs, braids, and…