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“At-Will” Employment
Texas is an “at-will” employment state. This means an employer can fire an employee without having a reason as long as the firing is not based on discrimination or some other illegal reason.
Your Rights in the Workplace
You have rights in the workplace! Dishonest employers may try to take advantage of young workers because they do not think they will know their rights. It is important that you understand your rights and do not feel pressured to allow your manager, co-workers, or even customers to violate those rights. See a list of your workplace rights below. You may have more workplace rights under other laws or under your company’s own policies. For example, your employer must also provide you a safe working environment.
If you have any questions about your rights or for more information, visit the EEOC’s youth website. You can also contact the Civil Rights Division of the Texas Workforce Commission at (888) 452-4778 or their website.
No Discrimination or Unfair Treatment
This means that your employer cannot make decisions about your job because of your race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, disability, age (age 40 or older), or genetic information. This right applies to all types of job decisions, including hiring, firing, promotions, training, wages, and benefits.
No Harassment
Workplace harassment is offensive conduct that is based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, disability, age (age 40 or older), or genetic information. Harassment can happen in many different ways. It can be verbal (words), physical (touch), or visual (signs or gestures) and can occur at work or away from work. Examples of harassment include offensive jokes, racial or ethnic slurs, pressure for dates or sexual favors, unwelcome comments about a person’s religion or religious garments, or offensive graffiti, cartoons, or pictures. The harasser can be your manager, a manager in another area, a co-worker, or others in your workplace, such as customers. For workplace harassment to be illegal, the conduct generally must either be very serious or happen often. If you believe you are being harassed at work, you should tell your supervisor or another manager, even if it happens only once or does not seem very serious.
No Retaliation
Your employer cannot punish you, treat you differently, or harass you if you honestly report job discrimination or help someone else honestly report job discrimination, even if it turns out the conduct was not illegal.
Changes Requested for Religious or Medical Reasons
You have a right to request reasonable changes to your workplace or job duties because of your religious beliefs or medical needs. Even though your employer does not have to say “yes” to every request, they should carefully consider each request and whether it would be possible given your job duties. This is known as making “reasonable accommodations.”
Private Medical Information
You have a right to keep your medical information private. Your employer should not discuss your medical information with others who do not need to know the information. The laws enforced by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (or EEOC) also strictly limit what an employer can ask you about regarding your health.
Minimum Wage
The minimum wage is the lowest amount that you can be paid for each hour that you work. The minimum wage currently is $7.25 per hour. Because taxes are deducted from your earnings, your paycheck will not equal the number of hours that you work times the current minimum wage. Your check stub should explain how your pay was calculated. If you have any questions, you should not be afraid to ask. Keep copies of your paycheck stub; you may need it to prove your income to be eligible for public benefits, housing programs, financial aid, and more.
Time and a Half for Overtime
If you work more than 40 hours per work week, you should be paid one- and-a-half times your normal pay for each hour worked over 40 hours for the week. See the U.S. Department of Labor’s website for more information.