Houston Employment Lawyer
Work toward the best possible result in employment law
Issues that may arise may impact your ability to support your family or your mental and physical health. Job-related disputes may also affect your ability to obtain further employment. Our team of licensed attorneys are here to ensure your well-being in the workplace and that you’re properly compensated.
Enjoy a consultation today to set about the right course of action for your best possible result in all aspects of employment law. Our employment attorneys in Houston are licensed to practice in both Texas and Louisiana.
How Can an Experienced Employment Contract Attorney Help Protect Your Rights?
When many workers across Texas and Louisiana start a new job, they often enter into a formal agreement known as an employment contract. This document usually represents an agreement of understanding between a company and an employee. It helps both parties involved understand their unique roles, rights, and responsibilities. Some of the items covered in an effective employment contract can include:
- Work schedules, holidays, vacation time, overtime, and sick leave
- A worker’s salary, wages, or commission earned
- Work duties and responsibilities expected of an employee
- Workplace conduct and standards of behavior expected
- Agreements to abide by company policies regarding discrimination
- Length of employment (especially for seasonal or part-time work)
- Employment benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, and more
As a new employee, if your employment agreement lacks any of the items listed above, you owe it to yourself to speak to a professional. Reach out to our team right now and let us know the circumstances of your situation and then let us stand with you to protect your rights. We are a small, niche firm offering affordable and professional legal representation. Learn more about our unique approach and how we can help resolve your case today when you reach out to our friendly firm.
Breaking Down Common Elements of Texas and Louisiana Employment
Contracts with the Help of an Employment Contract Lawyer
Like many other areas of law, rules and regulations concerning employment contracts can differ widely from state to state. Texas, for example, is what is known commonly as a “right to work state.” This term means that, in many cases, a business owner is not required to establish an employment contract with an employee and can terminate their employment at any time for nearly any reason which is not illegal. Although this is the case across the state of Texas, many employers still choose to enter into employment contracts with employees to facilitate a better understanding of workplace rules, regulations, and expectations.
In Louisiana, employment contracts are more frequently used. These documents usually, at a minimum, discuss an employee’s expected wages or salary, length of employment, benefits, and workplace policies. Regardless of your state of residence, it is often a good idea to have a professional, licensed and experienced employment contract attorney review your contract to help determine if it is fair to you as a worker and has your best interests at heart.
In cases where an employer fails to meet the terms of the contract, they signed in good faith, working with an attorney to review employment contract violations is essential. Some of the most common ways business owners take advantage of employees and break the terms of employment contracts include:
- Workplace discrimination based on race, sexual preference, ethnicity, and religion
- Unequal pay for women and minorities
- Unfair, or hazardous working conditions
- Hostile or toxic work environments
- Uncompensated overtime
- Instances of sexual harassment
- Reprisals against whistleblowers and more
At Daniel | Williams Law Firm, our minority woman-owned team stands up for workers and fights hard to hold discriminatory employers accountable for breaking the terms of your employment contract. Our small firm will stand by your side and fight hard to achieve big results. We work tirelessly to protect employees and give them a voice where they would otherwise be silenced.
Should I Hire a Lawyer to Review My Employment Contract to Ensure It Is Legally Binding?
As a rule, employment contracts are legally enforceable if they have been mutually agreed on by all parties involved and do not contain discriminatory language or violate any laws. If you have recently started a new job and are wondering if your employment agreement is legally binding in Texas or Louisiana, you’ve come to the right place. An experienced employment contract lawyer like you’ll find at Daniel | Williams Law Firm can help look over your documents to make sure the terms are legal and enforceable. We can help identify areas that may require additional clarification or extensive editing to ensure you, the worker, are protected.
In cases where an employer has violated the terms of your employment contract, we are ready to go to battle to protect you and your interests. We take great pride in defending employees from the illegal actions of employers and helping them earn the compensation they deserve.
Employment Law FAQs
What should I do if I suspect my employer is conducting illegal activity?
The best thing to do is to talk to an experienced employment attorney quickly. You should also document as much about what has happened as possible. Save emails and text messages, talk to witnesses and write out a diary of events. Your employer will likely dispute your account, and the evidence you have can help you prove what happened — and what still may be happening. In some cases, you can also file reports to your HR department, the EEOC, or even OSHA for safety-related issues such as retaliation for refusal to do dangerous work.
What you may discover is that you are not at all alone. If the illegal activity has impacted you and your career, there are likely other employees who have found themselves in the same position. Getting their statements and accounts can help to establish a pattern of behavior. This is important if your employer tries to claim that what happened was a one-time event or a misinterpretation.
What Do Employment Lawyers Cover?
Employment lawyers cover everything related to the law and employment, ranging from creating legally-binding contracts to supporting employees who have been wrongly dismissed or unfairly treated.
When helping new clients, our staff will initially work to understand the issue and then review all the evidence. They’ll then be able to offer practical advice and start the legal process on your behalf. Our staff will take care of negotiations, handle all of the legal paperwork and even represent you in court, should it be necessary.
Aspects of employment law vary from state to state, which is why working with Houston-based lawyers like ours can help you to ensure that you get the best possible advice.
Was I wrongfully terminated/fired?
Wrongful termination can happen for many reasons. If you have a contract, it happens whenever the terms of that contract are breached. For instance, it may state that you can only be fired for cause, when your employer fired you for no reason, citing at-will employment laws. Your contract offers you protections beyond those laws.
While at-will employment does technically mean that anyone can be fired (or can quit) at any time, remember that you still cannot be fired for illegal reasons that violate your rights. Refer to the protected classes noted above (race, religion, sex, age, etc.). If your employer fires you due to your race, for instance, that’s still illegal even if you have no contract and you are an at-will employee.
Moreover, when companies have stated policies in place, even if they’re not technically in a contract, they still have to be followed. For example, your company may have a three-strikes policy that guarantees you two warnings before a firing. Therefore, being fired immediately and without warning could still be illegal, even though at-will employment laws allow it.
How do I know if I have been harassed or discriminated against?
There are protected classes in the United States, and harassment and discrimination typically violate your rights under one of these classes.Per the EEOC, they include:
- Race
- Religion
- Color
- Sex (along with gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy)
- Age (40+)
- National origin
- Genetic information
- Disability
Harassment can include everything from jokes to insults to physical contact. Discrimination may include things like failure to hire, wrongful termination, passing you over for promotions, and more. We will determine if your case has all of the necessary components.
The biggest thing that you should know is that your gut is often right. When things feel unfair and unjust, especially if the perpetrator is an employer or a supervisor, they probably are unfair and unjust. When your rights are violated, you need someone to stand up on your behalf. We can do that for you in any industry.
How Can I Tell If I’ve Been Wrongfully Terminated?
Wrongful termination occurs if your employer fired you in breach of your contract or for a reason that is not legally recognized. For example, employers cannot terminate your job because of your race, gender, or religious beliefs.
If you believe that you were wrongfully terminated from your job, then you should contact us. Our team of employment lawyers will review your situation and be able to offer you advice for the next steps in your case.
Contact Us
Discuss Your Case with a Professional Employment Contract Attorney Today
Do not allow an employer to abuse your rights as a worker or as a human being. If you suspect a violation of the terms of employment, then do yourself a favor and connect directly with a friendly, licensed, and experienced attorney to review employment contract terms right now. You can also reach out to our friendly lawyer to review employment contract terms before you sign on the dotted line.
We look forward to working with you and showing you first-hand what a difference our firm can make.
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