Given the technological advancements over the past few decades, more and more employees are expected to be on call – either officially or unofficially – all day, every day. Most often, this occurs when an employee receives a phone call or email after they have left the office for the…
For many Texas employees, monetary pay is only a part of the overall compensation package offered by employers. For employees who have children or care for a sick family member, the paid- and unpaid-leave benefits provided by many employers are just as important as one’s salary or wages. Unfortunately, Texas…
For those who work in the service industry, the importance of tips cannot be overstated. Many service employees work primarily for tips, meaning that their employer only provides them with a minimal level of base hourly compensation. Thus, for many service employees, their lives literally depend on the amount of…
The federal minimum wage for hourly employees is $7.25 per hour. Unlike other states that allow for a higher minimum wage, the Texas minimum wage is $7.25. Advocates of a higher minimum wage have cited the unrealistic expectation that people are able to live on $7.25 per hour. Furthermore, they…
Studies have found that employers underpaying workers is a huge problem in America. Texas is not immune from this problem. From 2014 to July 2017, $29.5 million in back pay was awarded to workers under the Texas Payday Law. However, this figure may not represent what’s truly owed. It doesn’t…
Waiters and bartenders are among the least compensated people in the nation. Their median hourly wage is $9.61 each hour. Under the Obama Administration’s 2011 regulations, their tips are their property. These regulations prevent an employer from using the tips for any reasons other than as a credit against its…
Sometimes Texas workers believe that they must be as helpful as possible to an employer, even if it means working off the clock. For example, sometimes workers come in early to help an employer set up for that day’s work, but they don’t punch in for that period. Or, sometimes,…
Many workers do not realize that they do not need to go off the clock for short lunch breaks or snacks. If you take yourself off the clock for breaks under 30 minutes, you may not be getting the wages to which you’re entitled. There are many employment practices not regulated…
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is the federal law that regulates minimum wage and overtime, including how these issues should be handled in connection with a summer internship. Employment is defined broadly such that anyone who is suffered or permitted to work is employed. The United States Department of…
The eight-hour workday was developed during the Industrial Revolution so that workers doing manual labor in a factory would not have to work as many hours. Prior to that, in the late 18th century, factory workers worked 10-16 hours days to keep factories running 24/7. A campaign was started to…