Houston resident Meseret Mesfin is suing the Reconstructive Orthopedic Center of Houston, claiming that it is guilty of unlawful employment practices in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Family Medical Leave Act.

According to the lawsuit, which was filed August 9th, Mesfin took medical leave for a serious condition with the consent of her employer on March 17, 2016. However, she was fired by her employer on March 30, while she was still out on medical leave.

Mesfin had worked as an account manager for the defendant since June 2014 for over 40 hours a week without getting overtime pay, the lawsuit added.

Consult with an employment attorney at The Melton Law Firm in Austin if you feel that your Texas employer has been unfairly treating you or has violated fair employment practices by calling our offices today at (512) 330-0017.

Kelley Rieves, a former assistant manager for Buc-ee’s, was sued by her employer in the 165th State District Civil Court for breach of contract. Buc-ee’s claims that Rieves allegedly left the company in July 2012 even though her contract clearly stated that she should remain employed with Buc-ee’s until at least August 2013.

According to the lawsuit, Rieves started working at the store’s Cypress branch in 2009, but she resigned with a year left in her contract. The company said that Rieves owed them $67,720 in retention pay, which was paid to her assuming she would complete her contract. They added that Rieves’ contract was designed such that her salary was divided into normal pay and retention pay, and that her contract says she should give six months of notice before resigning. A judge ruled that Rieves owes Buc-ee’s $100,000 including legal fees and interest; she is working with her attorneys to appeal the decision.

Our employment lawyers at The Melton Law Firm provide legal services for clients in Austin and other areas of Texas, and we handle employment law issues such as wrongful termination and wage disputes. Call our offices today at (512) 330-0017 to discuss your employment issue.

Austin Watershed Protection Department Managing Engineer Mapi Vigil, who worked for the City of Austin for close to 30 years, sued the city for gender discrimination. The lawsuit came after Vigil applied for an assistant director position but was passed over for a male candidate, despite her high performance reviews and years of loyalty.

Vigil filed an internal grievance with the city’s human resources department to complain about the promotion of a less-qualified male candidate. However, the grievance officer denied her complaint. Her supervisor then gave her a two-day suspension, threatened to fire her, and slapped her with a written reprimand for being disrespectful. After HR opened an investigation into allegations of unprofessional conduct made by her supervisor but ignored Vigil’s recording of her conservation with the supervisor, she filed a complaint with the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Vigil’s case ended up going to court, where a grand jury awarded her $751,000 in compensation for the retaliation she faced.

You can hold your employers accountable for their unfair actions toward you by filing an employment lawsuit against them with the legal help of the attorneys at The Melton Law Firm. Call our Austin offices today to learn more at (512) 330-0017.

The United States Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB), in a 60-page report issued last Tuesday, August 2 showed that San Antonio, Texas-based petroleum refineries company Tesoro Corp. failed to follow basic safety procedures over a period of many years that caused 19 employees to be injured or be exposed to injury.

The Golden Eagle Refinery in Martinez, California was the site of two major sulfuric acid accidents – one in 1999 and another in 2014 – that caused injuries, some fatal, to many workers.

CSB said the second accident on March 10, 2014, which released 84,000 pounds of sulfuric acid, had similarities to the 1999 incident at the refinery when it was owned by a different company that caused the death of four people; this situation implies that Tesoro did not change safety practices to avoid similar acid spills after it bought the Martinez facility in 2002.

Workers in the state of Texas are provided with legal protections under state and federal law that are made to make sure that they get fair and equal treatment from their employers, and also to be assured that they are provided a safe working environment by their employers. Call our attorneys at The Melton Law Firm at (512) 330-0017 if these safeguards are not being met.

The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a lawsuit on Thursday, July 21 in the United States District Court in Urbana. They are fighting on behalf of a former employee against a branch of the furniture company Rent-A-Center. Both the employee and EEOC allege that the 1404 E. Grove Avenue location in Rantoul, Illinois treated the former worker unfairly because she is transgender.

EEOC’s Chicago director Julianne Bowman said a pre-suit administrative investigation was able to uncover evidence that the company’s managers took the gender transition of the former employer in a negative light. Rent-A-Center thus found a pretext to fire her, an action that violates provisions set forth in Title VII of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964.

The provision establishes penalties for people who discriminate based on sexual orientation in the workplace. Bowman said the EEOC first tried to secure a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process but was not successful on that end.

Our attorneys at The Melton Law Firm represent individuals in Austin and other areas of Texas who are experiencing employment concerns. If you suffered unfair treatment at the hands of your employer, or if you are subjected to unscrupulous or unlawful business practices, call our offices at (512) 330-0017.