Dallas Employment Lawyer Blog

Freedom of Religion in the Workplace

February 16, 2026 | Robert J. Wiley

Dallas Employment Trial Lawyer Harjeen Zibari

It is February, and the holy month of Ramadan is about to begin for Muslims. Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam wherein a Muslim will fast from sunup to sundown. Yes, that includes not drinking water. And yes, there are exceptions, such as for those who are elderly, chronically ill, or pregnant. And in case you were curious, it moves up about two weeks every year because it follows the Islamic calendar, which is different than the Gregorian calendar that the international community uses.

The First Amendment guarantees the right to freedom of religion in the United States, meaning the government cannot persecute those in the United States for their religions, and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 provides workers with protections against discrimination for their religion in the workplace. But what exactly are these protections?

What is an Adverse Action, and should I only talk to a lawyer after experiencing one?

February 16, 2026 | Austin Campbell

Dallas Employment Trial Lawyer Austin Campbell

Summary: This blog briefly goes over the “adverse action” standard in Texas and some recent changes in the law in that area. It then focuses on the question of whether you should wait for an adverse action to happen before talking to a lawyer about your rights.

Roughly speaking, employment law in Texas is centered around what are called “adverse actions”: you can seek legal redress from your employer if you can identify some harm it caused to the terms or conditions of your employment. Of course, that is separate from the critical question of why the employer did what it did, and whether that why was illegal.

If HR Isn’t There to Help You, Who Is HR For?

February 9, 2026 | Ellen Johnston

Dallas Employment Trial Lawyer Ellie Johnston

This blog explains the role Human Resources actually plays in the workplace, why HR is not an employee advocate, and why Texas employees should still report workplace issues while protecting themselves through documentation and realistic expectations.

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“I Didn’t Do That!” – The Reality of Defamation Cases in Texas

February 2, 2026 | Cassidy Monska

Dallas Employment Trial Lawyer Cassidy Monska

“I Didn’t Do That!” – The Reality of Defamation Cases in Texas

When someone spreads false information about you, whether to potential employers, customers, or colleagues, it feels deeply personal and damaging. The instinctive reaction is often: “That’s defamation! I’ll sue!” But in Texas, defamation cases are far more complex than most people realize. What seems like a straightforward claim often turns into a legal uphill battle.

What Information Can an Employer Legally Request From an Employee?

January 26, 2026 | Riley Carter

Dallas Employment Trial Lawyer Riley Carter

Employees are often asked to provide personal information as part of the hiring process or during their employment. While employers do have the right to collect certain information, that right is not unlimited. Federal and state laws strictly regulate what employers may request, when they may request it, and how that information may be used.

Understanding these boundaries is critical for employees who want to protect their rights.

Honoring Dr. King: Employment Law, Civil Rights, and the Continuing Fight for Justice in Texas

January 19, 2026 | Robert J. Wiley

Dallas Senior Trial Attorney Deontae Wherry

Every year, we gather to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But to truly honor him, we cannot settle for speeches and ceremonies. Dr. King never asked us to be comfortable, he asked us to be courageous. He asked us to look honestly at the world around us and refuse to accept injustice as normal. Here, in Texas, that call still echoes loudly.

Dr. King understood something profound: the struggle for civil rights and the struggle for workplace justice are the same fight. He knew that a person cannot live free if they cannot work free from discrimination, free from retaliation, free from exploitation, free from the systems that suffocate opportunities. Dr. King often reminded us that laws limiting the rights of Black Americans also limited their ability to participate fully in the economy. Economic inequality and racial inequality, he insisted, were two sides of the same broken coin.

Workers in Domestically Violent Relationships

January 19, 2026 | Robert J. Wiley

Rachel Bethel Dallas
Trial Attorney

Domestic violence (“DV”) does not confine itself to a victim’s home. DV hunts survivors down to factory floors, hospital units, classrooms, and office desks.

Several states have recognized the intimate link between a survivor’s physical safety and a survivor’s financial security.

What Happens if I Get Sued for Violating a Non-Compete?

January 12, 2026 | Robert J. Wiley

Dallas Employment Trial Lawyer Harjeen Zibari

Despite the FTC ruling that non-competes are unenforceable, this ruling has been blocked by a judge in the Northern District of Texas and is tied up in continued litigation. Therefore, in Texas, noncompete agreements are enforceable. Read my other blog here to learn more about what makes a non-compete enforceable in Texas. Texas employers often move quickly when accusing a former worker of violating a noncompete, sometimes seeking emergency court orders that threaten your new job, your clients, and your livelihood. Understanding the process can help you protect your rights and respond strategically. Here’s what typically happens when you, the employee, are on the receiving end of a noncompete dispute in Texas.

1. The Accusation or Cease-and-Desist Letter

A Bittersweet End to the Designer Cupcake Era: Sprinkles’s Sudden Nationwide Closure and WARN Act Considerations

January 7, 2026 | Robert J. Wiley

Dallas Employment Trial Lawyer Harjeen Zibari

Sprinkles Cupcakes, the once-ubiquitous gourmet bakery chain famous for its colorful storefronts and viral cupcake ATMs abruptly closed all of its retail locations and vending machines nationwide as of December 31, 2025, ending a 20-year run that began in Beverly Hills in 2005. The company’s founder, Candace Nelson, confirmed the shutdown in a TikTok post, describing the moment as “surreal” and not how she envisioned the brand’s legacy after selling it to private equity in 2012. With more than 20 storefronts across several states and numerous airport and mall ATMs, the sudden disappearance of Sprinkles shocked both longtime customers and employees alike.

I was a loyal Sprinkles customer myself. I went to college in Richardson, Texas, which is not known for its nightlife. But all-nighters were way more exciting when my friends and I would barrel up 75 to grab a cupcake at 4 AM from the Sprinkles ATM, which sang a ridiculous song at an even more ridiculous volume that had us sleep-deprived college kids in tears at its absurdity. I had a birthday just weeks after the onset of the covid-19 pandemic that sent us all into our homes and locked away from each other, and a vending machine cupcake seemed like the safest option to blow a candle out onto. When I graduated law school a few weeks later, again, I commemorated the occasion with a pastel-pink strawberry cupcake that my cat Rosie ate a quarter of when my back was turned. Those were huge cupcakes too. She’s a fluffy cat.

New Year, Same Tactics: How to Stay One Step Ahead of Your Employer Going Into 2026

January 5, 2026 | Ellen Johnston

Dallas Employment Trial Lawyer Ellie Johnston

For many Dallas employees, December feels like the worst time to deal with a work problem. Everyone is juggling holiday travel, office potlucks, and year-end deadlines, and it’s extremely tempting to tell yourself, “I’ll deal with that in January.” We hear this all the time. Employees want to rock around the Christmas tree, not rock the boat, and employers often count on that hesitation. Unfortunately, your workplace rights don’t take a holiday break, no matter how much we wish the law would let us hit “pause” until after New Year’s.

The truth is that waiting can have real consequences. Employment laws run on strict timelines, evidence can disappear quickly, and employers make major decisions in December that can shape your case long before the new year ever arrives. As cozy as it sounds to postpone everything until January, that delay can close doors you didn’t even know were closing.