Texas Employee Rights

Quick Guide to Texas Employee Rights

Texas Employee Rights

One of the greatest resources on the interest for Texas employee rights is the official website of the Texas Workforce Commission. You can reach the website with the link.

Texas employee rights cover issues such as wage requirements, discrimination protection, child labor, safety requirements, the protection of certain files, and more.

Several federal laws are vastly important within Texas labor laws: the Fair Pay Act and other laws that prohibit any kind of discrimination within the workplace.

Laws that Protect Against Discrimination

There are multiple federal laws that protect a prospective and current employee against discrimination in hiring, protection against wrongful termination, and more. Some of these laws are listed below:

• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (which protects against race, color, religion, sex, or national origin)

• Age Discrimination Act of 1963 (which protects workers who are 40 years or older)

• Title I and Title V of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Sections 501 and 505 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (which protects disabled persons in federal, state, and local sectors)

• Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (which prohibits discrimination based on genetic information about the employee)

• Civil Rights Act of 1991 (which allows a person to seek monetary damages in employment discrimination)

• Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 and Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2009 (which protect whistleblowers when reporting illegal actions about their employer)

Laws and Procedures that Protect a Person’s Pay

Texas employee rights include many laws that protect a person against unfair wage differences, wages that are too low, and much more. Texas employee rights are covered under the following conditions:

The Fair Pay Act

This Act was basically an extension of the 1963 Equal Pay Act that prohibited sex-based discrimination within the same job. The Fair Pay Act also prohibits an employer from paying employees of equal experience and skill different wages based on sex or any categories under discrimination laws.

Safety and Injury Compensation

Texas employee rights cover protection in the workplace, regardless of the profession. Every employer is entitled to keep a workplace clean and organized, meet OSHA standards, and provide compensation for medical expenses if the employer carries workers’ compensation insurance. An employer is also required to administer drug tests or I-9 forms for a drug free workplace in most cases.

Minimum Wage Requirements

The Texas Minimum Wage Act of 2009 increased the minimum wage and provided Texas employees rights of at least $7.25/hr and gave each employee the power to negotiate for a higher wage. The Act is located under Chapter 62 of the Texas Labor Code.

Protection of Employee Personal Information

Texas employee rights provide that an employer must protect certain kinds of personal information like contact information, medical records, and more. If a prospective employee was considered to be hired and subsequently failed a drug test, Texas employee rights guarantee that these results cannot be passed on to another employer.