Now that the FDA has given final approval to the Pfizer vaccine, many employers have started requiring employees to get the covid vaccine. Can employers require employees to get a coronavirus vaccine? It is very likely that they can. We start with the general OSHA requirement of all employers to maintain a safe workplace. Every
The Houston Methodist Hospital required all of its employees to get a vaccine against the COVID19 virus. Some 178 employees sued. They argued, among other things, that requiring employees to accept a vaccine not fully approved by the FDA amounted to Nazi science experiments in a concentration camp. Note to future advocates: avoid over-the top
I used to get referrals from the San Antonio Bar Association. These referrals included many clients who had never spoken to a lawyer anywhere. Many of them would call complaining basically about unfair treatment. I still get calls like that, sometimes. They might say, “my employer fired me because they say I did not call
What control does an employer have over a worker after work hours and away from the job? In Texas, as in most states, the employer can have a great deal of control, if it wishes. We are an “at will” state in Texas, as are most states. In an at-will state, an employer can fire
There are a lot of myths out there about employment law. From time to time, I talk about a few of those myths.
At will
“At will” employment means an employee can be fired for anything.” Texas is an at-will state. An employee can indeed be fired for a lot of things, but not for
The crew of a United Airlines Flight arrived at their plane one day and found the words “BYE BYE” scrawled on the tail section. It was July, 2014, just a few months after the Malaysia airline plane disappeared over the Indian ocean. The crew was shaken. They asked for a security sweep. United, however, simply
I tell potential clients all the time that they can be fired for anything – so long as the cause is not related to potential discrimination. One construction worker learned that lesson the hard way. An employee of a subcontractor who was working on the new stadium at Texas A& M was fired because he
I frequently tell my clients or potential clients that if they want fairness at work, then they need to form a union. The case of Lt. Joseph Salvaggio of the San Antonio Police Department illustrates why. Lt. Salvaggio took the exam for promotion to captain in 2010. One of the instructions was that if a
An employer can modify the at-will relationship. An employer can agree to terminate an employee only for "just cause." Many employers agree to do so so for key employees. But, how does an employer modify the at-will status of an employee? in Crystal City v. Palacios, 2012 WL 1431354 (Tex.App. San Antonio 201012) (not
I often tell clients or potential clients that in an at-will state, like Texas, your employer can fire you for anything. They can, for example, fire because you wear a blue shirt to work. Well, the law firm of Elizabeth R. Wellborn, P.A. in Ft. Lauderdale did just that . . . almost. They fired