Texas Re-Opens Retail Businesses; COVID-19: Considerations for Employee Testing
Texas Re-Opens Retail Businesses On April 17, 2020, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed an Executive Order authorizing the re-opening of retail businesses. The Texas Department of Health and Human Services provides specific guidance for reopened retail services on its website. Please Note: The Texas DHHS COVID-19: Guidance for Employers, [...]
What Happens Next? When Employees Return to the Workforce After COVID-19
Once businesses are permitted to re-open, what happens next? What if some employees ask to delay their dates of return, or seek to remain on leave? Employers are making decisions on employee treatment that will have longstanding implications in the aftermath of COVID-19 -- that some say may lead [...]
7 Ways Employers Can Protect Confidential Information During the COVID-19 Crisis
Technology and “bring your own device” (BOD) have made it easier for employees to make confidential business information vulnerable to view by a competitor or others. Perhaps an employee moved customer contact information to their smartphone, e-mailed marketing plans to their personal email, to a third party, or transferred [...]
Can I Be Forced to Go Into Work During the COVID-19 Outbreak?
Could an employer require you to work during the Coronavirus/COVID-19 outbreak? The answer depends on the job you have. If your local government defines your role as “essential,” you may have to comply with your employer’s wishes or risk termination. For example, if you are a pharmacist, a police [...]
Furlough vs. Layoff: What is the Difference and What’s Important for Employers?
During these uncertain economic times, employers and employees are learning the subtle, but important, differences between what it means to be furloughed and laid off. Here is what you should know. Furlough A furlough is an alternative to layoff. When an employer furloughs its employees, it requires them to [...]
COVID19 Downsizing/Early Retirement or Voluntary Severance Agreements and Age Discrimination
During these uncertain times, employers are confronted with difficult choices, least of which is whether they can maintain their current workforce. When considering layoffs or "downsizing" plans in an effort to reduce labor costs, employers may use various incentive packages to induce employees to retire early or resign. The [...]
Tips for Texas Employers Dealing with Coronavirus
"DO NOT PANIC!" was the advice my doctor gave me about the Coronavirus which was expected to hit the Dallas-Fort Worth area in late April-early May 2020, yet cases appeared in the Metroplex this week. Here is the practical advice my doctor added: “Look, it’s a virus like the [...]
Top 5 Tips for Employers Regarding Social Media
Employers are saddled with a myriad of federal and state laws with which they must comply -- and this includes rules related to the area of social media. Neither federal nor state laws, however, have provided a codified set of rules for handling social media in the workplace. Collectively, [...]
No Joking at Work? Is That a Joke?
When is Joking at Work a Problem? Shareholder Casey Erick recently delivered a webinar for the American Staffing Association, entitiled: Harassment, Discrimination, and Wrongful Termination. A follow-up question from an attendee related to making jokes in the workplace and what is or is not acceptible. Here is Casey's response: Joking [...]
The Fate of a New Paid Sick Time Ordinance for Dallas Workers is Now in the Hands of a Federal Judge
Update, Mar. 30, 2020, via Brian Farrington: The US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas has issued a preliminary injunction against the City of Dallas, preventing enforcement of Dallas’ paid sick leave ordinance. Read complete update here. ---------- Update, Aug. 14, 2019: Interim Dallas City Attorney, Chris Caso, filed [...]
