If you are starting a business and will be hiring employees, you may find it beneficial to explore what the law says about wages and hours in Texas. This is an important element of starting, growing, or maintaining a business. Read on to learn more about Texas wage and hour laws, and what you need to know about employee leave when starting a business.
Texas Wage and Hour Laws – Leave
Texas wage and hour laws offer specific guidelines for employers to ensure that their employees receive fair treatment and pay according to the law. Leave is one of the more complex areas of wage and hour law, and is an important consideration for employers.
Texas Leave Laws offer guidance for various forms of leave that may be requested or required by employees. Such leaves may include:
Vacation Leave
Employers are not required to provide vacation leave, but when they do so (paid or unpaid) they are required to follow Texas Labor Code 61.001(7)(B), and Texas Admin. Code 821.25(a).
Sick Leave
Employers do not legally have to pay sick leave benefits. When they are provided, however, they must comply with the terms of any employment contract, as well as the terms of the Family and Medical Leave Act.
Holiday Leave
Private employers can require employees to work holidays, with or without premium pay. Employers must obey overtime laws during holiday periods. State employees are subject to the Texas State Holidays list of recognizing and observing holidays, and may not be required to work.
Jury Duty
Employees called to jury duty must not be terminated from employment due to their responsibility. The employer is not required to compensate the employee for jury duty.
Voting Leave
Texas laws require an employer to provide paid time off for all employees to vote if the employee does not have at least two (2) consecutive hours available outside work when polls are open.
Bereavement Leave
Texas employers do not legally have to provide bereavement leave. If they choose to do so, however, they must comply with the terms of any employment contract or bereavement policy the business maintains.
To protect your business, yourself, and your employees, it is important to have well-established policies about leave. You may have policies worked into the formation of your business, or may include such policies into employment contracts. In either case, it is an important element of Texas wage and hour laws.
Get Help with Starting a Business
To learn more about creating or managing labor and employment policies or contracts, contact Daic Law today. Call our office at 877-893-6040 or send us an email at info@daiclaw.com. Whether you are starting a business or are reorganizing one, we can help!
Other Resources
Also check out our “Corporate Law” page for more information.