Apart from civil service or just-cause standards in personnel policies, most people believe that public sector employment in Texas is at will, that an employee may be terminated for any or no reason.  Those with experience know this to be untrue.  

 

Employment law matters present significant liability risks.  State and federal laws carve out so many exceptions to the at-will rule that the exceptions have become the rule.  Complicated federal and state laws can expose a public sector employer to excessive verdicts and monetary awards.  To be effective, a Human Resources or Personnel director will involve legal counsel early in the disciplinary process.  That attorney must be experienced in labor and employment law.  The firm is necessarily involved in personnel matters for all of its cities and public sector clients. 

 

The firm also has detailed familiarity with the complex federal and state laws that regulate employment and personnel practices that include, as examples, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Civil Rights Act, and Texas’ municipal civil service laws (chapter 143, Local Government Code).  The firm has also developed, reviewed, and revised numerous personnel policies and manuals.