— Retaliation Claims Category Archives — Dallas Employment Lawyer Blog Published by Dallas, Texas Employment Lawyers

Tricks, Not Treats: The Workplace Nightmares Haunting Texas Employees

October 26, 2026 | Deontae Wherry

Senior Trial Attorney Deontae Wherry

Halloween is the season for ghosts, goblins, and things that go bump in the night. But for a lot of Texas workers, the scariest stories are not the ones on the screen, they are the ones happening at the office. Some workplace horrors are just bad luck. Others are against the law. The trick is knowing the difference, so this Halloween, let’s shine a flashlight on a few of the monsters that may be lurking in your working life, and which ones you can actually do something about.

The Vanishing Paycheck

Can My Employer Retaliate Against Me for Complaining About Discrimination?

October 19, 2026 | Robert J. Wiley

Courtney-1-1-e1791818760145-300x290 Many employees hesitate before reporting discrimination because they are worried about what will happen next. Will their supervisor start treating them differently? Will they suddenly receive negative performance reviews? Will their hours change? Could they lose their job?

Federal employment discrimination laws contain anti-retaliation protections designed to protect employees who assert certain workplace rights. But not every workplace complaint is legally protected, and not every unpleasant action that follows a complaint is unlawful retaliation. Understanding the distinction can be important for employees deciding how to address discrimination at work.

What Is Protected Activity?

FMLA Interference v. Retaliation: Two Different Ways to Sue Your Employer

September 28, 2026 | Deontae Wherry

Dallas Senior Trial Attorney Deontae Wherry

You did everything right. You asked for the leave you were entitled to, whether it was to recover from surgery, care for a sick parent, or welcome a new baby. Then something felt off. Maybe your employer made the leave difficult, dragged their feet, or acted like you were causing a problem. Or maybe you came back to find your hours cut, a bad review out of nowhere, or a pink slip waiting for you. If any of that sounds familiar, you may have a claim under the Family and Medical Leave Act, and it helps to understand exactly what kind.

The most important thing to know is this: under the FMLA, there are two separate ways an employer can break the law. One is interference. The other is retaliation. They sound similar, but they are two different claims, and knowing the difference can make all the difference in protecting your rights.

More Than a Long Weekend: What Labor Day Actually Stands For

September 2, 2026 | Cassidy Monska

Dallas Employment Trial Lawyer Cassidy Monska

Labor Day means different things to different people. For some, it is the unofficial end of summer, a day for barbecues, back to school sales, and one last trip to the lake. But the holiday has a history worth remembering, especially if you are someone who clocks in, punches out, and wonders whether the system is actually looking out for you.

Where Labor Day Came From

Claim vs. Lawsuit: What You Actually Need to Know Before You Wait Too Long

August 19, 2026 | Cassidy Monska

Dallas Employment Trial Lawyer Cassidy Monska

Scroll through social media long enough and you will find someone telling a stranger to “sue” over almost anything. A canceled flight. A rude cashier. A manager who raised their voice. Everyone in the comment section is suddenly a lawyer.

Here is the problem with that: the “sue them” culture makes it harder to spot the situations that actually do matter. People who have been through real discrimination or retaliation start to wonder if their situation is “serious enough,” and they wait, and they lose time they cannot get back. Employment claims often move on short deadlines, so the cost of waiting can be the whole case.

Making the Company Speak: Why the 30(b)(6) Deposition Is a Plaintiff’s Best Friend

August 3, 2026 | Riley Carter

Dallas Employment Trial Lawyer Riley Carter

One of the most frustrating defenses in employment litigation is the corporate shrug. Ask why an employee was fired, and no one seems to know. The supervisor points to human resources. HR points to a manager who has since left. The manager points to a policy nobody can locate. The company insists that the decision was legitimate while making sure that no single witness will own it.

Rule 30(b)(6) exists to end that game. It is, in my view, the single most powerful discovery tool available to an employee suing an employer, and defense counsel know it. Understanding how it works, and how to use it aggressively, often determines whether a case settles on favorable terms or drifts toward trial with a muddy record.

“They Said It Wasn’t Harassment” – Why Your Employer Still Can’t Fire You for Reporting It

June 17, 2026 | Cassidy Monska

Dallas Employment Trial Lawyer Cassidy Monska

You worked up the courage to report sexual harassment at work. Maybe it took weeks, maybe longer. You filed the complaint, cooperated with HR’s investigation, and then waited.

Then came the result you didn’t expect: your employer concluded that no harassment had occurred. And shortly after that came something even worse. You were fired, demoted, or suddenly found yourself on a performance improvement plan for the first time in your career.

Juneteenth and Your Rights at Work in Texas

June 15, 2026 | Deontae Wherry

Dallas Senior Trial Attorney Deontae Wherry

Juneteenth started right here in Texas. On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston with General Order No. 3 and finally announced freedom for the enslaved people of Texas, more than two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Texas was the first state to recognize Juneteenth as an official holiday in 1980, and Congress made it a federal holiday in 2021.

Is Juneteenth a Paid Holiday for You?

Title: Punitive Damages in Texas Employment Cases: Why the Statute You Sue Under Matters

June 8, 2026 | Riley Carter

Dallas Employment Trial Lawyer Riley Carter

When an employer crosses the line from negligent to malicious, punitive damages are one of the most powerful tools an employee has. But the statute you sue under can mean the difference between a $50,000 ceiling and an unlimited verdict. Here’s a quick guide to how punitive damages work in Texas employment cases under federal and state law.

Federal Law: Title VII vs. § 1981

AI & Your Employment Dispute

June 3, 2026 | Rachel Bethel

Rachel Bethel Dallas
Trial Attorney

Imagine that you’re at work. You learn that you’re being denied an accommodation. The sexual harassment won’t stop after your report. A paycheck isn’t adding up. It might be tempting to type the whole story into an AI site and ask, “Do I have a case?” It’s fast, it’s free, and the answer sounds right. After all, it’s written in legalese! What could go wrong?

Quite a bit actually. AI tools can be useful for plenty of things, but advice on your employment is not one of them.