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answered on Dec 5, 2023

In Texas, the statute of limitations for filing a civil lawsuit for wrongful termination, which may include claims like violation of freedom of speech, depends on the specific nature of the claim. Generally, for wrongful termination claims, the statute of limitations is typically around two years,... View More

Since you were laid off, and not fired for cause, you have standing to collect unemployment benefits from your former employer. You can apply for such benefits online through the Texas Workforce Commission website and most likely will not require the services of a lawyer.

In the absence of a written employment agreement to the contrary, employment in Texas (and in most US states) is at-will. That means you can resign for almost any reason. It is almost certain that your former employer will not pursue any claims against you under the circumstances.

No, but they can make it a condition of continued employment under many circumstances. If such a test is “job related and consistent with business necessity,” the employer can require a COVID-19 test as a condition of continued employment. This is largely being interpreted as meaning will the... View More

Generally, the answer to this question is yes. However, there are two exceptions to this general rule. If you have a religious objection to receiving the vaccine, or if you suffer from a disability that renders you unable to receive the vaccine, you can request an exemption from this requirement as... View More

I don't know what claims you could make yourself, but you could report the situation to the IRS. If they claim you were a W-2 employee, they should have been paying payroll withholding, and weren't. That can result in a 100% penalty against the company, and against anyone who had... View More

The mandatory provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act expired on December 31, 2020. Therefore, if you contracted COVID-19 and were out of work after that date, then your employer would not be required to provide paid sick leave under the Act. However, if this occurred in 2020,... View More

It sounds like your employer may have violated the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Subject to some exceptions, employers with less than 500 employees are required to make 80 hours of paid sick leave available for full-time employees, and the equivalent... View More

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act requires employers up to 500 employees to provide paid sick leave if you contract the virus. If you have been with the company for at least 30 days prior to taking the leave, you should qualify for the paid leave.

If an employee contracts the virus or is seeking a diagnosis regarding whether they have the virus, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act requires employers with up to 500 employees to provide paid sick leave for any time off taken up to 12 weeks. It sounds as though your wife works for a... View More

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, the general rule is that you must be paid for all hours you spend performing work for the company, but you need not be paid for time that you're not performing work. So, the answer to your question will depend on whether you still performed work on days you... View More

It sounds like you may have a claim for sex discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. To establish this claim, you have to prove you were qualified for your original job, you suffered an adverse employment action (a pay cut or demotion to a less favorable or prestigious job... View More

Those who are not citizens can apply and receive unemployment benefits if all of the state requirements are fulfilled.

You must have a valid work permit or any immigration status that allows you to work such as a green card, asylee, DACA or TPS status.

You must be authorized to work... View More

The receipt of public assistance such as unemployment benefits is not an automatic bar to naturalization if you have not engaged in unlawful behavior including committing fraud. However, USCIS may view the receipt of benefits as a factor regarding your “good moral character “. You may want to... View More