The new head of Texas Workforce Commission Civil Rights Division is Jonathan Babiak.  Some readers may remember him as the former head of the appeals division at TWC.  He advised employers last Spring on how to game the system regarding unemployment claims.  See Houston Chronicle report.  Mr. Babiak told employers at a TWC hosted conference in Houston that they could give terminated workers the opportunity to resign.  If an employee resigns, s/he may falsely believe they have no chance to obtain employment benefits.  As Mr. Babiak explained, they will think they are not eligible for benefits and will probably not even file a claim.  I previously wrote about Mr. Babiak here.  He was removed from his position after the flap that followed his advice to employers. 

The agency is called the Texas Workforce Commission.  It used to be called the Texas Employment Commission.  It was never called the Texas Employers’ Commission.  It is supposed to be nuetral regarding unemployment claims.  That is because it is the same agency that processes claims and then later hears disputes about unemployment claims.  Mr. Babiak was the head of their appeals division until this past Summer.  

Now, he heads the Civil Rights Division.  The CRD investigates claims of discrimination.  The CRD is the state equivalent of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.  I hope he has picked up a little more balance.