Back in January in this San Antonio Law Blog, we discussed a study that discovered that a large number of teenage females are sexually harassed at work. Part of the problem is that teenage employees tend to be less aware of their employment rights than older workers, and they also are likely to feel too intimidated to report wrongdoing. A recent sexual harassment case involving teenage workers at Panda Express involved some of these elements.
In Texas, Exxon Mobil under scrutiny for discrimination
Under federal law it is illegal for employers to discriminate against workers on the basis of a number of things: race, national origin, sex, pregnancy, religion, age and disability. Sexual orientation, however, is not a protected status. Twenty-one states have banned sexual orientation discrimination, but Texas is among the states that have not done this. So, those who are discriminated against in the workplace due to being gay or lesbian may not always have a form of legal recourse in our state.
EEOC files another genetic information discrimination lawsuit
Most San Antonio residents know that employers cannot legally discriminate against them on the basis of their race, nationality, gender, disability or religion, among a few other things. There are other areas of antidiscrimination law, however, with which many Texas residents may be less familiar. For example, did you know that it is illegal for your employer to ask you about your family's medical history?
Supreme Court decides significant ERISA case
Many Texas residents have health insurance through an employer plan, and these plans are often governed by the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act. Such health plans typically cover any medical expenses that a policyholder incurrs if injured due to another person's negligence.
Texas disability case may spur changes to federal wage laws
Many San Antonio residents heard the news this week that a former Texas company has been ordered to pay $240 million for violating the rights of intellectually disabled employees. Henry's Turkey Service was sued by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission several years ago for gross civil rights and Americans with Disabilities Act violations at a labor camp that it ran in Iowa since the 1970s. This week, a jury awarded 32 victims in that case $7.5 million each.
