End-of-Year Employment Law Considerations

/cdklawyers.com// 12/23/2011 Many companies are scrambling right now to get through the busiest part of the year and to resolve end-of-year financial issues. That said, this time is ideal for a company’s human resources team to review the company’s employment files, policies, and practices and to make changes for the upcoming year.   The human […]

Recent Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Decision Shows the Importance of Being Truthful in All Depositions

/cdklawyers.com// 12/17/2011 The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals recently upheld the dismissal of a racial harassment and constructive discharge case because the plaintiff committed perjury in a deposition. Brown v. Oil States Skagit Smatco, No. 10-31257 (5th Cir. Dec. 6, 2011), available at http://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/10/10-31257-CV0.wpd.pdf.  The plaintiff testified in a deposition that he quit his job […]

Department of Labor Oversees Enforcement of Many Laws

/cdklawyers.com// 12/15/2011 The United States Department of Labor administers and enforces more than 180 federal laws that cover workplace activities for approximately 10 million employers and 125 million workers.   A few of the most commonly applied laws administered by the Department of Labor include:• Fair Labor Standards Act. This law prescribes standards for wages and […]

Dallas Employment Law Specialist Offers Tips to Avoid Legal Liability at the Company Party

/cdklawyers.com// 12/10/2011 While a company party should be a time for fun and merriment, an employer must prepare carefully to avoid potential legal issues. Dallas employment lawyer Keith Clouse provides the following tips.   First, an employer should consider the added legal exposure that serving alcohol can bring. To avoid alcohol-related problems, an employer may […]

EEOC Ends Fiscal Year on a High Note

/cdklawyers.com// 12/03/2011 The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal agency responsible for enforcing the nation’s anti-discrimination laws, issued a press release following the close of its fiscal year 2011. According to the press release, the EEOC finished its fiscal year with a ten percent decrease in its pending charge inventory. This decrease is the first […]

Non-Disparagement Clauses in Employment-Related Settlement Agreements

/cdklawyers.com// 12/01/2011 Employment law attorneys frequently include non-disparagement clauses in settlement agreements that resolve litigation between employers and former employees and in severance agreements between employers and departing employees. In a typical non-disparagement clause, one party agrees not to make any statements, either written or verbal, that disparage or criticize the other party.   In […]

Workplace Myths Revealed: Dallas Attorney Provides Insight

/cdklawyers.com// 11/26/2011 The US News & World Report published an article recently regarding workplace myths. Keith Clouse, a Dallas attorney who specializes in employment law, provides further insight into these myths.   Among the myths that are “busted”:• Employees have legal recourse for unfair treatment. Fair or not, according to Mr. Clouse, as long as an […]