Discrimination and Harassment

Antidiscrimination statutes play an important role in every employer’s organization. While these statutes provide protection for employees, they also help protect a company from lawsuits that can disrupt operations and ultimately hurt their business. Some of these important statutes include:

• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects against discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, and national origin.
• The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 prohibits age discrimination in employment.
• The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination based on disability.
• The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act prohibits the use of genetic information to deny an individual healthcare coverage or charge them higher premiums. It also forbids the same information being used by employers in making decisions regarding hiring, firing, etc.
• The Pregnancy Discrimination Act forbids discrimination on the basis of pregnancy and childbirth.
• Chapter 21 of the Texas Labor Code lists state anti-discrimination statutes. These are similar but not identical to those listed above.

This list is far from exhaustive. Every year, there are state and federal statutes either being adopted or considered with the aim of further protecting employee rights, as well as whistleblowers and those exposing corporate malfeasance.

It’s our job to help employers navigate a landscape that’s constantly changing and which can be very confusing. We do this in three different ways.

Education

What does the law say? How will it affect your business? Whether it concerns compensation plans, anti-discrimination statutes, or employment contracts, we can educate you, your management team, and your employees so that when issues arise, your response is clear, concise, and compliant.

Collaboration

We work with you to develop employee handbooks and contracts, as well as company policies and procedures that are compliant with the law. We’ll review current policies to ensure compliance, and provide advice and guidance on best practices regarding insurance, employee leave, hiring and firing, disciplinary actions, and a range of other issues. We can also assist in investigating workplace complaints.

Defense

Our goal is always to address issues before they escalate. However, should litigation become necessary, we’ll be your advocate, providing you with a rigorous defense every step of the way.

In a landscape that’s rapidly changing, our job is to help employers balance the sometimes competing requirements of the law, to draft and enact rules and procedures that will prevent issues from escalating, and if they ever do, to fight for you in the courtroom or in arbitration.