Dallas Employment Lawyer Blog

From Service to Silence: How Employers Ignore the Rights of Disabled Veterans

July 11, 2025 | Robert J. Wiley

Coming out of the Fourth of July, I’ve been thinking about the disconnect between how we celebrate veterans publicly and how many are treated at work. In my practice, I’ve represented disabled veterans who faced discrimination, retaliation, or termination after simply asking for the accommodations they needed to do their jobs.

Returning to the civilian workforce as a veteran comes with challenges. For disabled veterans in particular, the transition can be even harder when an employer treats your request for support like a burden—or worse, a threat.

If you’re a veteran in Dallas living with service-connected conditions like PTSD, anxiety, chronic pain, or mobility limitations, you have legal rights in the workplace. And if your employer is making you feel like a “liability” because of those conditions, they may be violating the law.

Top 5 Forms of Workplace Retaliation — and How Texas Law Protects Employees

July 11, 2025 | Cassidy Monska

Dallas Employment Trial Lawyer Cassidy Monska

Retaliation is one of the most frequently alleged forms of workplace misconduct in Texas. Although the law protects employees who assert their rights, many still face adverse consequences after reporting discrimination, requesting accommodations, or participating in investigations. Unfortunately, retaliation can be subtle, delayed, or disguised as ordinary business decisions.

What Is Workplace Retaliation?

Legal Backlash: Confronting the Impact on LGBTQ+ Workplace Rights

June 6, 2025 | Robert J. Wiley

Dallas Employment Trial Lawyer Rob Wiley

On May 15, 2025 a conservative judge struck down federal guidance protecting gay and transgender employees from discrimination and harassment in the workplace. This is not normal or business as usual, this is a sledgehammer-style legal assault on our community. Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk’s opinion undoes decades of progress, declaring it legal to harass and bully workers who happen to be gay or trans. As a gay employment lawyer, I want to address what this means for us.

Employment discrimination against gay and trans people is real. We all have to have a job, and it’s all too common to have a co-worker or manager who resents having to work with someone who is gay or trans. That’s why this decision hits hard, it’s going to have a real impact on real life.

Why employment law cases should be focused, not scattershot

May 9, 2025 | Robert J. Wiley

Summary: This article discusses why it is strategically important for employees, when pursuing legal claims against their employer, to simplify their case as much as possible.

Many employees who come to us and explain that they believe their employer discriminated or retaliated against them state that they think there are multiple illegal reasons for their employer’s actions. For instance, someone might tell me they believe their employer fired them because of their age, because they have a disability, because they took FMLA leave, and because they previously reported the discrimination because of age.

At the end of the day, in almost any employment case the burden of proof is on the employee asserting legal claims against their employer. Part of that usually means the employee must prove that they were fired because of an illegal reason or reasons. Typically that burden takes the form of what is called “but for” causation—but for the person having a disability, they would not have been fired, for instance.

Don’t Say I Didn’t WARN Ya: A Guide to the WARN Act

May 9, 2025 | Robert J. Wiley

Unfortunately, mass layoffs are beginning to look like a more and more common thing. However, if a employer chooses to let go of much of its workforce at once, it must follow the WARN Act. This a law designed to protect workers by making sure employers give you a heads-up before large layoffs or company shutdowns. If you’ve never heard of it, you’re not alone—but knowing your rights under this law could make a huge difference if your job is ever at risk.

Let’s break down what the WARN Act is, what it covers, and what it means for you.

What Does “WARN” Stand For?

Don’t Work for Free: Know Your Rights as an Employee in Texas

May 2, 2025 | Deontae Wherry

Dallas Employment Trial Lawyer Deontae Wherry

In Texas, every employee has the right to fair compensation for their work. You should never work for free, and it’s crucial to understand your rights regarding minimum wage, overtime pay, and regular payment schedules. This blog will inform you about these rights and what to do if your employer fails to pay you.

Minimum Wage

Retaliation Doesn’t Discriminate: When Pretext Becomes Punishment in the Workplace

April 25, 2025 | Robert J. Wiley

When people think about workplace discrimination, they usually picture the person who’s directly targeted—a woman passed over for a promotion, an employee of color subjected to racist comments, or an LGBTQ+ worker harassed for who they are. But retaliation law protects more than just the victim. In fact, one of the most common—and most overlooked—forms of illegal retaliation is what happens when an ally speaks up.

Under federal and Texas law, it is unlawful for an employer to retaliate against someone who reports, opposes, or even just participates in an investigation into workplace discrimination. And yet, every day in Texas workplaces, employees who stand up for others are pushed out, written up, or fired altogether. It doesn’t matter if you’re not the person being harassed—if you raise concerns about discrimination or report it to HR, you’re engaging in protected activity. That means your employer can’t punish you for it, no matter how “at-will” your job is.

Still, retaliation rarely walks in the front door. It’s almost never labeled clearly. Instead, it hides behind what lawyers call pretext—a supposedly neutral explanation that’s used to justify a decision that’s actually rooted in something else. It might be a sudden complaint about performance after years of glowing reviews. A dress code violation that was never enforced before. A safety rule applied unevenly. Something that looks neutral on paper—but in practice, only one person is punished.

Forced Arbitration in Employment Contracts: What You’re Giving Up

April 10, 2025 | Cassidy Monska

Dallas Employment Trial Lawyer Cassidy Monska

If you’ve started a new job recently in Texas—especially in a corporate or professional setting—there’s a good chance you were asked to sign an employment contract with a clause about arbitration. Maybe it was buried in a stack of onboarding documents, or maybe it was part of your offer letter. Either way, what may seem like just another HR form could have a major impact on your rights.

So, what is forced arbitration?

Navigating the Workplace When You Have Ongoing Employment Claims

February 13, 2025 | Cassidy Monska

Dallas Employment Trial Lawyer Cassidy Monska

Finding yourself in a situation where you are still employed by an employer you have ongoing employment claims against can be incredibly stressful. It’s crucial to balance protecting your legal rights while maintaining professionalism and protecting your position.

Here are some practical steps to help guide you on how to handle working in a hostile or potentially contentious environment when you have an active legal claim against your employer. These steps can help reduce stress, protect your rights, and ensure you approach the situation effectively.

Don’t Sell Yourself Short: Stand Up for Fair Treatment

February 7, 2025 | Deontae Wherry

Dallas Employment Trial Lawyer Deontae Wherry

As an employee in Texas, you don’t have many rights because of the at-will doctrine. At-will doctrine simply states that an employer can terminate an employee for any reason or no reason at all. Despite this, you work hard and contribute to your employer’s overall success. You deserve to be treated with fairness and respect. Unfortunately, many workers face broken promises from their employers—whether it’s a denied raise, an unfulfilled promotion, or ignored benefits. If your employer has failed to honor their commitments, it’s time to stand up for yourself. You don’t have to accept mistreatment, and better opportunities exist.

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