Texas Employment Law Lawyer

If you’ve been fired, harassed, denied wages, or punished for speaking up at work, a Texas employment law lawyer from Attorney Jeff can evaluate your claims, gather evidence, and pursue the compensation you’re owed. Here’s what every Texas worker should know before filing a claim or signing anything. For questions regarding your case, contact us to schedule a free consultation today. 

Table of Contents

Common Claims Dallas Employment Lawyers Handle
When You Should Call a Texas Employment Law Lawyer
Key Federal and Texas Employment Laws That Protect Dallas Workers
Common Types of Employment Cases in Texas
What You Need to Know About Employee Discrimination and Harassment in the Texas Workplace
Wrongful Termination and At-Will Employment in Texas
Wage, Overtime, and Wage Theft Claims Under Texas and Federal Law

Overview of How a Dallas Employment Attorney Can Protect Your Workplace Rights

A Texas employment law lawyer represents employees in disputes with employers over workplace rights under both federal and state law. Employment lawyers help clients with wrongful termination, discrimination, and wage disputes, assessing which statutes apply, filing administrative complaints, negotiating settlements, and trying cases when needed.

Texas is an at-will employment state. This means employers can terminate employees at any time for any reason, as long as it isn’t unlawful. Federal and state regulations still limit illegal termination, discrimination, and retaliation under laws like the Civil Rights Act and the Texas Labor Code.

Common Claims Dallas Employment Lawyers Handle

Experienced Dallas employment lawyers routinely handle claims involving:

• Wrongful termination and wrongful discharge
• Workplace discrimination and harassment
• Unpaid wages and unpaid overtime
• Employment retaliation and whistleblower claims
• Employment contracts and severance disputes

An employment lawyer can file and manage employment law claims with the EEOC and the Texas Workforce Commission. The Texas Workforce Commission handles many claims at the state level, while federal agencies like the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the U.S. Department of Labor enforce federal law. Filing deadlines for discrimination claims can be as short as 180 days, and some extend to 300 days when state law also covers the issue.

When You Should Call a Texas Employment Law Lawyer

Many workers in Dallas wait too long to speak with an employment attorney. By the time they call, emails have been deleted, witnesses have left the company, and filing deadlines have passed.

Contact a Dallas employment lawyer if you experience any of the following:

• Sudden termination shortly after reporting harassment or discrimination
• Demotion or negative performance review after requesting FMLA medical leave
• Months of unpaid overtime
• Forced resignation after complaining about a hostile work environment
• Being asked to sign a severance agreement within 21 days

Retaliation for reporting discrimination is illegal under federal law. If you receive an EEOC Charge of Discrimination, a Notice of Right to Sue, or a Texas Workforce Commission decision, strict deadlines begin immediately. You typically have only 90 days after receiving a Right-to-Sue letter to file suit in federal court.

Age, race, pregnancy, and disability discrimination, along with sexual harassment, all warrant urgent legal help. The initial Consultation is free and confidential, so even if you’re still employed, we can advise you on documentation and strategy before a legal dispute escalates.

Key Federal and Texas Employment Laws That Protect Dallas Workers

Dallas employment attorneys understand both federal statutes and Texas employment law, so they can effectively navigate the case, tailoring claims to each client’s facts.

Federal Protections

• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act covers various areas, such as race, color, sex discrimination, religion, and national origin discrimination for employers with 15 or more employees. 
• The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) protects workers age 40 and older at companies with 20 or more employees.
• The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities at companies with 15 or more employees.
• The Equal Pay Act requires gender pay equity across all employers.
• The FMLA provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid, protected leave at companies the employee 50 or more individuals.
• The FLSA sets minimum wage and overtime pay rules for most employers. Minimum wage is currently $7.25 per hour, and overtime pay is one-and-one-half times the regular hourly rate for non-exempt employees working more than 40 hours a week.

Texas State Protections

Texas prohibits discrimination based on age, race, and gender through the Texas Labor Code Chapter 21, which supplements federal protections. The Texas Commission on Human Rights Act provides overlapping remedies, and some provisions apply to employers with fewer than 15 employees. Texas state law covers sexual harassment claims against employers with as few as one employee.

A knowledgeable Texas employment law lawyer reviews each law’s filing deadline, available compensatory damages, and procedural requirements before deciding where and how to file in state and federal courts.

Common Types of Employment Cases in Texas

Dallas employment lawyers handle a broad range of cases for employees at every level, from hourly retail workers to executives with complex employment agreements. These cases generally fall into six categories.

Wrongful Termination

A worker is fired one week after reporting sexual harassment to HR, or an employee aged 55 is passed over for promotion while less-experienced younger colleagues advance. Employees can claim wrongful termination for violations of employment contracts or firing that breaches explicit company policies.

Workplace Discrimination

Hiring, firing, or promotion decisions based on race, sex, pregnancy, religion, national origin, disability, or age violate both federal and state labor laws.

Harassment and Hostile Work Environment

A supervisor uses racial slurs for months, or a coworker makes repeated sexual comments. When behavior is severe or pervasive enough to change working conditions, it crosses from rude to illegal workplace harassment.

Retaliation and Whistleblower Claims

Workers can be demoted or terminated after reporting safety violations, filing an OSHA complaint, or exercising FMLA rights. Texas law protects employees from retaliation for refusing illegal acts.

Wage and Hour Disputes

A restaurant manager works 55-plus hours weekly but is classified as exempt and receives no overtime pay. Employees can file claims for unpaid wages with the Texas Workforce Commission within 180 days.

Employment Contracts and Severance

Disputes often center on non-compete clauses, severance packages, or broken promises in executive employment agreements. Employees based in Dallas and Fort Worth should document emails, performance reviews, text messages, and pay records over months or years, since this evidence is critical to any of these claims.

What You Need to Know About Employee Discrimination and Harassment in the Texas Workplace

Unlawful employment discrimination occurs when an employer makes decisions about hiring, firing, pay, promotion, or classification because of a protected characteristic such as race, sex, religion, national origin, age (40+), or disability.

A hostile work environment involves severe or pervasive harassment tied to a protected characteristic. Repeated racial slurs from a supervisor, unwanted sexual comments at staff meetings, or persistent mocking of a disability can all qualify. A single incident can also meet the threshold if it’s severe enough, such as a physical assault.

Sexual harassment can create a hostile work environment, and quid pro quo harassment involves retaliation for rejecting sexual advances, such as a manager threatening termination after an employee refuses a date. 

Both forms violate Title VII and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, where pregnancy is involved. Conduct that’s merely rude, like a boss who yells at everyone equally, doesn’t violate employment law unless it targets a protected characteristic.

Employers cannot retaliate against employees for filing discrimination claims. Dallas employment attorneys help employees file complaints with HR, the EEOC, or the Texas Workforce Commission, and damages may include back pay, emotional distress, and, in some cases, punitive damages.

Wrongful Termination and At-Will Employment in Texas

Texas follows at-will employment: employers can generally fire employees for any reason or no reason, but never for an illegal one.

Common Illegal Grounds for Termination

• Discrimination based on race, sex, age (40+), disability, religion, or national origin
• Retaliation for reporting harassment, safety violations, or discrimination
• Firing for taking FMLA medical leave
• Termination for filing a workers’ compensation claim
• Dismissal for refusing to perform an illegal act

Breach of a written employment contract or firing that contradicts explicit company policies can also support a wrongful discharge claim. Keep termination notices, emails, performance reviews, and notes of any discriminatory remarks with dates and names.

Damages in wrongful termination cases may include back pay, front pay, lost benefits, and, in some cases, reinstatement and attorneys’ fees.

Wage, Overtime, and Wage Theft Claims Under Texas and Federal Law

Wage theft is widespread across Texas, particularly in restaurants, construction, retail, and healthcare. Many employees don’t realize that FLSA protections apply to their jobs.

Non-exempt employees must receive overtime pay. This consists of one-and-one-half times their regular hourly rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. Off-the-clock tasks, like prep work before a shift or answering emails at home, count as compensable time.

Rules for Tipped Employees

• Tipped employees must earn at least $7.25 per hour, including tips
• The federal base wage for tipped employees is $2.13 per hour
• Employers must pay tipped employees $5.12 for overtime
• Employers cannot require tipped employees to cover breakage fees or customer walkouts

Other common violations include misclassification as an independent contractor, salaried workers wrongly treated as exempt, and unpaid final paychecks. Under the Texas Payday Law, employers must pay discharged employees within six days of termination.

Under the FLSA, employees have 2 years to file wage-and-hour claims, extending to 3 years if the violation was willful.

Employment Contracts, Severance Agreements, and Non-Compete Clauses

Many Texas employees sign employment contracts, NDAs, non-compete clauses, and severance packages without legal review, even though these documents can significantly affect their rights.

A typical employment contract covers job duties, compensation, grounds for termination, confidentiality obligations, and dispute resolution, including whether disputes are handled through arbitration or litigation in state and federal courts.

Non-compete and non-solicitation clauses under Texas Business & Commerce Code § 15.50 must contain reasonable limitations on time, geographic area, and scope. Texas courts, guided in part by Texas Supreme Court precedent, assess whether restrictions exceed what’s needed to protect an employer’s economic interests, such as trade secrets or goodwill.

As of September 1, 2025, special limits apply to healthcare workers: non-competes for physicians, PAs, dentists, and licensed nurses must allow a buyout equal to one year’s salary, cover at most a 5-mile radius, and expire after one year.

A Dallas employment attorney can negotiate better severance terms, release of claims, continued health benefits, and neutral references when an employee is laid off. A former employer’s severance package always deserves legal review, since signing a waiver or release of rights without consulting a lawyer can permanently forfeit otherwise valid claims.

The Employment Law Process: From Complaint to Resolution

The typical life cycle of employment litigation in Texas follows a predictable path: internal complaint, administrative filing, investigation, right-to-sue letter, then settlement negotiations, mediation, or trial (through judge or jury verdict).

A Dallas employment lawyer drafts detailed agency charges for the EEOC or Texas Workforce Commission that preserve all potential discrimination, retaliation, and wage claims. After the EEOC issues a Notice of Right to Sue, employees typically have 90 days to file suit in federal court.

Most employment law cases settle before trial, but experienced counsel prepares each case as if it will go before a jury, since an employer’s assessment of trial risk directly influences settlement offers and how quickly a legal dispute gets resolved.

How to Choose the Right Dallas Employment Lawyer

Employment law is a specialized field. Not every attorney handles complex discrimination or wage and hour audits, and less than 1% of Texas attorneys are board-certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Questions to Ask Before Hiring

• How many Texas employment law cases have you handled?
• Have you taken employment cases to trial?
• Do you practice before the EEOC and Texas Workforce Commission?
• Are you board-certified in labor and employment law by the Texas Board?
• What is your fee structure: contingency, hourly, or hybrid?
• Do you represent employers, employees, or both, as some Dallas law firms represent employers, which may create conflicts?

That certification, sometimes recognized alongside a Texas Super Lawyer designation, signals deep experience. Dallas employment attorneys who understand both state and federal employment law matters will provide an honest assessment, not just tell you what you want to hear.

Fees, Costs, and Access to a Texas Employment Law Lawyer

Many Dallas workers worry they cannot afford an employment lawyer, but flexible fee arrangements often make representation possible.

• Contingency fees: No payment unless there’s a recovery, common in discrimination, retaliation, and wage theft cases
• Hourly billing: Typical for contract reviews or advisory work
• Flat fees: Sometimes used for severance agreement review
• Hybrid: A combination for complex employment litigation

Case costs like filing fees and expert witnesses are often advanced by the law firm and deducted from any settlement. Ask about written fee agreements and what happens if the case is unsuccessful before moving forward.

Speak With a Dallas Employment Attorney

If you’ve been fired, harassed, denied wages, or asked to sign a release or severance package, contact a Texas employment law lawyer for a confidential, no-obligation case evaluation. Reaching out for a case review does not create an attorney-client relationship until a written agreement is signed.

Employment law deadlines are strict, and missing a 180-day or 300-day filing window can permanently bar otherwise strong claims. Whether you’re in Dallas, Fort Worth, anywhere in North Texas, or even in the neighboring New Mexico border areas, an experienced employment attorney can assess your situation and advise you on how to move forward.

The goal of Texas employment law representation is straightforward: protect employee rights, hold employers accountable, and pursue the full compensation the law allows. 

Jeff’s got you.

Other Practice Areas Our Texas Personal Injury Law Firm Specializes In

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• Texas Employment Law
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• Texas Workers’ Compensation Cases
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Attorney Jeff’s Other Locations

Speak with our experienced lawyers today for a free consultation evaluation. We also have locations throughout California and Arizona. 

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About the Author

JEFFREY FAYNGOR, ESQ.

Jeffrey Fayngor is the founder of Attorney Jeff Car Accident Lawyer and an experienced personal injury attorney dedicated to representing accident victims. He earned his J.D. from Whittier College School of Law and has recovered over $120 million for injured clients. He has built his practice around helping injury victims protect their rights and pursue the compensation they deserve.