Hispanic Heritage Month, observed September 15 to October 15, is a reminder that many of the protections employees rely on today. They were won by organizers, many of them Hispanic and Latino, who risked their jobs and safety to demand fair treatment. Several of them came from right here in Texas.
Carmelita Torres: Dignity as
Most people know the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects employees and applicants who have disabilities. Fewer know it also protects people who don’t have a disability themselves but are closely connected to someone who does.
The ADA defines unlawful discrimination to include “excluding or otherwise denying equal jobs or benefits to a qualified individual
Racial gaslighting rarely announces itself. It shows up as a nickname you never agreed to, a story about an incident that keeps shifting, work rules that seem to bend only when you’re the one following them, or a derogatory comment dropped once and then explained away as “just a joke.” Individually, any one of these
Many workers who face serious mistreatment at work are surprised to learn that the law may not protect them. Employment discrimination law in the United States and in Texas is built on a framework of employee thresholds, meaning that certain protections only apply once an employer reaches a minimum number of employees. If your employer
You did everything right. You reported the harassment. You documented the discrimination. You were denied the medical leave you were legally entitled to, or you were retaliated against for speaking up about discrimination. Now you are wondering what the law can actually do for you.
The honest answer is that the law can help, but
When employees speak up about unsafe working conditions or violations of law, federal whistleblower statutes are designed to protect them from retaliation. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) administers one of the broadest whistleblower protection programs in the country, enforcing anti‑retaliation provisions under more than twenty federal statutes. Understanding which law applies, how long
Employees who experience discrimination or retaliation at work are often overwhelmed, confused, and unsure of what steps to take next. Which is totally understanding, this is an extremely stressful time in your life, going through something isolating and unknown. Many employees try to handle this internally, hope it resolves on its own, or wait until
Protests have shaped the United States since its creation, from the Boston Tea Party to the Civil Rights Marches and Boycotts of the 1960s, and now to the demonstrations advocating for racial justice, reproductive rights, immigration reform, and more. The ability of everyday people to gather, speak out, and demand accountability to our elected officials
Pregnancy discrimination remains one of the most persistent challenges in employment law. Despite decades of legal protections, thousands of employees still face adverse actions after announcing a pregnancy or requesting accommodations. Pregnancy discrimination occurs when an employer treats an employee or job applicant unfavorably because of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.
This includes:
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In November 2025, Tyson Foods filed a WARN Act notice with the Texas Workforce Commission announcing a mass layoff of 1,761 employees at its Amarillo beef-processing plant. The layoffs are scheduled to take effect on or about January 20, 2026, as the company eliminates its entire B-shift operations, the plant’s second production shift, typically covering
