Discrimination Claims

Texas is an “at-will” state, meaning that your employer can hire, fire, demote, or promote you for whatever reason they want, or no reason at all – so long as the motivating reason for doing so is not based on your: age, race, gender, religious preference, pregnancy, or disability.

There are several federal laws that protect employees from workplace discrimination and retaliation. They include:

• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), prohibiting discrimination in employment based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin
• The Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA), which states that men and women doing equal work at the same employer should receive equal pay
• The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), which protects workers 40 years of age or older from job discrimination
• Title I and Title V of the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA)
• Sections 501 and 505 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities who work in the federal government
• The Civil Rights Act of 1991, which allows for monetary damages in cases of intentional employment discrimination

There are also Texas state laws prohibiting discrimination:

• Chapter 21 of the Texas Labor Code, which prohibits workplace discrimination based on race, color, gender, national origin, religion, age and disability.
• Texas Workers’ Compensation Act, which prohibits discrimination and retaliation for filing (or seeking to file) a claim for worker’s compensation benefits.