Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

HOUSTON and TEXAS EMPLOYEE DISCRIMINATION and RETALIATION ATTORNEY

Ellen Sprovach has been Resolving Texas Employment Discrimination and Retaliation Cases for Over 20 Years

Our attorney is ready to assist you in seeking justice if your Houston or Texas employer has discriminated against you based on age discrimination, gender/sex discrimination, race/national origin discrimination, disability discrimination, religious discrimination, sexual orientation or LGBT discrimination and pregnancy discrimination. Our attorney can also help you if you have opposed discrimination or previously complained of discrimination and your Houston or Texas employer retaliated against you. We have successfully filed hundreds of complaints and lawsuits on behalf of Houston and Texas employees who suffered workplace discrimination and retaliation.

If you believe you have suffered any of the following in the workplace, please contact us at 713.231.9669or [email protected]

Age Discrimination
Gender Discrimination
Race Discrimination
National Origin Discrimination
Sexual Orientation Discrimination
Religious Discrimination
Pregnancy Discrimination
Retaliation for Opposing or Complaining of any of the above
Family Medical Leave Act Retaliation

Sexual Harassment

Sexual Harassment can happen to anyone in the workplace, male or female. Sexual harassment in the workplace is defined as unwanted sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that creates a hostile or offensive work environment. It can manifest in various forms, including unwelcome sexual advances, inappropriate comments, or demands for sexual favors.

The behavior must be:

Unwelcome: The behavior must be unwanted by the recipient (you).
Sexual in nature: The conduct must be of a sexual nature, such as comments about someone’s body, jokes with sexual innuendo, or physical contact.
Creates a hostile or offensive environment: The behavior must be severe or pervasive enough to create a hostile or offensive work environment for you.

Examples of sexual harassment

Unwanted sexual advances: Persistent requests for dates or intimate relationships.
Requests for sexual favors: Demanding sex in exchange for keeping your job, getting a raise, getting a promotion or other workplace benefits.
Verbal harassment: Making sexually suggestive or offensive comments to you. This can include texts or emails.
Physical harassment: Unwanted touching or groping.
Displaying sexually explicit materials: Sharing or displaying sexually suggestive images, texts, emails or videos in the workplace.

Sexual harassment can be perpetrated by supervisors, coworkers, clients, or even customers.

Please contact our Houston, Texas attorney to assist you if you have been subject to sexual harassment in the workplace. 713. 231.9669

OVERTIME CLAIMS IN HOUSTON OR TEXAS

Many, if not most jobs in Texas are required to pay overtime compensation if you work over 40 hours per week. In such a situation, your Texas employer is required to pay you time and a half for each hour worked over a 40-hour workweek. This may apply even if your Houston or Texas employer tells you that you are a “salaried” employee. Such a designation may be incorrect, whether your Houston or Texas employer makes that designation intentionally or not.

If you believe your Houston or Texas employer is not paying you what they owe you, please contact our experienced Texas Overtime attorney at 713.231.9669 or by email at [email protected].

CONTRACT AND SEVERANCE REVIEW

Many Texas employers require their employees, including prospective employees, to sign employment contracts prior to working or to continue employment in Houston and Texas. These employment contracts often contain non-compete agreements and confidentiality agreements. Unfortunately, employment termination or separation may result in the necessity of either party filing a lawsuit regarding these agreements.

Our experienced Board-Certified Texas attorney has significant experience reviewing, negotiating and litigating employment agreements. If you need to discuss a Texas employment agreement or contract, please call 713.231.9669 or email at [email protected].

Whether your Houston or Texas employer lets you go for no reason, any reason or as part of what they call a layoff or reduction in force, they may provide you with a Severance Agreement. These documents may be complex and typically require signing in a very short period of time to obtain the benefit contained within.

If you are over 40, your Texas employer should provide you with 21 days to sign the agreement. If the separation of employment is part of a bigger layoff or reduction in force, your employer should provide you with a 45-day deadline.

If you need to discuss a Texas Severance Agreement, please call 713.231.9669 or email at [email protected].

WRONGFUL TERMINATION AND TEXAS WHISTLEBLOWER CLAIMS

Although many people use the term “wrongful termination” in Texas, really one cause of action exists to protect Houston and Texas employees under that term. If your (non-governmental) Texas employer fires or terminates you for refusing to engage or take part in an illegal act, you may be covered under this definition.

In the Texas workplace, a whistleblower is a public employee who reports a violation of law by their employer or another public employee to an appropriate law enforcement authority in good faith. The Texas Whistleblower Act protects such employees from retaliation for making these reports.

To qualify under most Texas whistleblower statutes, the following applies:

Public Employee

The protection applies to employees of state or local government entities, including school districts.

Good Faith Reporting

The report must be made in good faith, meaning the employee honestly believes a law has been violated.

Appropriate Law Enforcement Authority

The report must be made to an authority that is part of a state, local, or federal government entity authorized to regulate or enforce the law allegedly violated. This has fairly recently been defined as actually contacting police, FBI, or other law enforcement agencies that can investigate and prosecute these claims.

Violation of Law

The reported conduct must be a violation of a law, almost always criminal.

Grievance Process

You must file a grievance with your organization regarding your complaint of issue. You must follow your Texas employer’s grievance policy and procedure. Exceptions may apply if your employer does not have a grievance procedure.

Retaliation Protection

The employee is protected from adverse employment actions, such as suspension, termination, or other adverse personnel actions, if the employer retaliates for the whistleblower report.

While this law applies to government employees, there are some exceptions that cover medical or hospital employees. It is important to note that the corresponding statutes of limitations are very short, some as short as 60 days.

If you believe you have a Texas wrongful termination or Texas whistleblower claim please contact us at 713.231.9669 or [email protected]