Category Archives: Houston Employment Law

New Fifth Circuit Disability Harassment Case Again Emphasizes The Importance Of Complying With An Employer’s Complaint Policies And Procedures

Posted on November 20, 2017 by

In Patton v. Jacobs Eng’g Group, Inc., ____F.3d ____, No. 16-30879, 2017 WL 4784586 (5th Cir. Oct. 24, 2017) the Fifth Circuit again emphasized the importance of employer complaint policies and procedures, and demonstrated the impact they can have on … Continue reading →

Posted in ADA, At Will Employment, Houston Employment Law, Houston Retaliation Law

“Bring Your Child To Work Day” Debacle Results In Employees Suing – And Winning – For Retaliation

Posted on November 17, 2017 by

In E.E.O.C. v. EmCare, Inc., 857 F.3d 678 (5th Cir. 2017), the Fifth Circuit affirmed a jury verdict finding that an employer had illgally retaliated against its employee for complaining about sexual harassment. McKinney, a CEO of an EmCare division, … Continue reading →

Posted in At Will Employment, EEOC, Harassment, Houston Employment Law, Houston Retaliation Law

Court Holds That Once An Employer Acts With An Illegal, Retaliatory Motive Against An Employee, The Employee’s Mildly Inappropriate Response Is Not Sufficient To Remove The Taint Of Illegal Retaliation

Posted on April 25, 2017 by

In Fisher v. Lufkin Industries, __ F.3d __, No. 15-40428, 2017 WL 562444 (5th Cir., Feb. 10, 2017), the African-American plaintiff, Fisher, complained to Lufkin’s VP of HR that his supervisor referred to him as “boy,” which he regarded as … Continue reading →

Posted in Discrimination, Houston Employment Law, Houston Retaliation Law, Retaliation

Fifth Circuit Holds That Employee’s Failure to Provide Doctor’s Note Confirming Reason for Absence Dooms His Claims Under The Americans with Disabilities Act

Posted on June 14, 2016 by

Mark Oberti writes: Sometimes, employees ask for time off from work because of medical issues. In those situations, the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) may protect them from being terminated because of the time they take off from work. However, … Continue reading →

Posted in ADA, At Will Employment, Disability, EEOC, Houston Employment Law, Human Resources

Fifth Circuit Holds That Employees Interviewed As Part Of A Sexual Harassment Investigation Have Greater Protection From Retaliation

Posted on June 7, 2016 by

Mark Oberti writes: Recently, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which covers Texas, Mississippi, and Louisiana, affirmed that an employee interviewed as part of a company’s internal investigation into sex harassment complaints is protected from retaliation under … Continue reading →

Posted in Discrimination, EEOC, Houston Employment Law, Houston Retaliation Law, Retaliation, Whistleblower

EEOC Takes Aggressive Positions On Homosexual Rights In The Workplace Under Title VII

Posted on March 28, 2016 by

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) sometimes announces its position on legal issues under Title VII. While the EEOC’s pronouncements are not binding on courts, they often have consequences on employers anyway because the EEOC is the government agency that … Continue reading →

Posted in Discrimination, Dodd Frank, Houston Employment Law

New Fifth Circuit ADA Decision Illustrates The Pro-employee Impact Of The Amendments Congress Passed To The ADA

Posted on March 9, 2016 by

In 2011, Jacobs Field Services North America, Inc. offered Michael Cannon, a mechanical engineer with 20 years’ experience, a field engineer position at a Colorado mining site. But very shortly thereafter, Jacobs rescinded the offer after learning Cannon had a … Continue reading →

Posted in Disability, Discrimination, EEOC, Houston Employment Law, Human Resources

Five Questions That Individual Employees Should Ask Before Hiring A Houston Employment Lawyer

Posted on May 2, 2015 by

Hopefully you will never need an employment lawyer in Houston. Luckily, there are many great Houston employment lawyers, and they work at firms all over the city. Some of them rank highly on Google search results, and others do not. … Continue reading →

Posted in Houston Employment Law, Houston Executive Lawyer, Houston Retaliation Law

Texas Supreme Court Hands Victory To Employers In The Evolving Law Regarding Non-Competition Agreements

Posted on September 2, 2014 by

Mark Oberti observes: On Friday, August 29, 2014, the Texas Supreme Court delivered another victory for employers seeking to enforce post-employment restrictions against former employees who seek to go to work for competitors. In Exxon Mobil Corp. v. Drennan, No. … Continue reading →

Posted in At Will Employment, Houston Employment Law, Houston Executive Lawyer, Non Compete Agreements

The ADA Also Prohibits Discrimination Based On An Employee’s Relationship Or Association With An Individual With Cancer

Posted on February 24, 2014 by

We are blogging on Mark Oberti’s paper on the “5 Things Employers And Employees Need To Know About Cancer In The Workplace” In a little known part of the ADA, the law provides that it is unlawful for an employer … Continue reading →

Posted in Disability, EEOC, FMLA, Houston Employment Law, Human Resources | Tagged , , , , , ,