Austin Employment Lawyers, P.C.

Founded by attorney Robert J. Wiley in 2012, the firm represents workers in:

• Texas state courts
• Federal courts
• Proceedings before government agencies
• Binding arbitration

The firm handles matters ranging from unemployment hearings to multiparty lawsuits and complex trials.

Board-Certified Employment Law Specialist

Attorney Robert J. Wiley is certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization as a specialist in Labor and Employment Law. Board certification requires substantial experience in the specialty area and passage of a rigorous exam. Less than one percent of Texas attorneys hold this certification.

Types of Clients

Austin Employment Lawyers, P.C. represents workers from many industries and job levels, including employees of major technology companies. The firm regularly consults with and represents employees of large tech companies such as Meta (Facebook), Alphabet (Google), Apple, Microsoft, Tesla, and Nvidia, among others.

The firm's focus is on protecting employee rights in the workplace, including:

• Workers facing discrimination, harassment, or retaliation
• Employees who have been fired or pushed out of a job
• Workers denied medical leave or reasonable accommodations
• Employees who are not being properly paid wages, tips, or overtime

Location and Contact

• Office address: 1011 San Jacinto Blvd #401, Austin, TX 78701
• Phone: (512) 271-5527

Potential clients can contact the firm by phone or through the contact form on the firm's website to request an initial consultation with an attorney.

State and federal laws prohibit Texas employers from discriminating against employees based on protected characteristics, including:

• Race
• Color
• Disability
• Religion
• Sex
• Pregnancy
• National origin
• Age
• Sexual orientation
• Gender identity

Discrimination can occur in many aspects of employment, such as:

• Hiring and firing
• Promotions and demotions
• Pay and bonuses
• Job assignments and work schedules
• Benefits and leave

Examples of potentially unlawful discrimination include:

• Promoting a less-qualified employee over a more-qualified employee because of a protected characteristic
• Denying time off for certain religious holidays while allowing other forms of leave
• Paying employees differently, or offering unequal benefits, based on a protected characteristic

Harassment and Hostile Work Environment

Employees are also protected from harassment and hostile work environments based on protected characteristics. This can include, for example, sexual harassment or repeated offensive comments about a protected group.

When an employer is made aware of harassment, it must take prompt and effective action to address the problem. Failure to act can result in legal liability.

Retaliation for Complaints

Employees are protected from retaliation for complaining about discrimination or harassment, whether they report issues to a supervisor, human resources, or a government agency.

Workers who believe they have experienced discrimination, harassment, or retaliation can contact Austin Employment Lawyers, P.C. to request an initial consultation with an attorney about their situation.

Austin Employment Lawyers, P.C. focuses exclusively on representing workers in employment law matters. Key practice areas include:

Employment Discrimination

Representation for employees who experience discrimination in hiring, promotion, pay, discipline, or termination based on protected characteristics such as:

• Race or color
• National origin
• Disability
• Religion
• Sex
• Pregnancy
• Age
• Sexual orientation
• Gender identity

Claims may involve unequal pay or benefits, denied promotions, unfair discipline, or other adverse employment actions tied to a protected characteristic.

Workplace Harassment and Hostile Work Environment

Cases involving harassment or a hostile work environment, including sexual harassment. Employers have a duty to take prompt corrective action once they are made aware of harassment. Failure to do so can give rise to legal claims.

Wrongful Termination

Representation for employees who have been wrongfully terminated for illegal reasons, such as:

• Discrimination ("who you are" wrongful termination)
• Retaliation for asserting legal rights or reporting problems
• Other violations of state or federal employment laws

Employment Contracts and Severance

Advice and representation regarding:

• Employment contracts
• Separation agreements
• Severance negotiations

Leave Issues and Medical Leave

Assistance with issues involving family and medical leave, disability-related leave, and other protected time off from work.

Wages and Overtime Pay

Representation in disputes about unpaid wages, unpaid overtime, misclassification of employees as exempt/salaried, and related pay issues.

Unemployment Benefits

Guidance and representation related to unemployment benefit claims and hearings.

Government Employees and Whistleblowers

Representation of:

• Government employees facing workplace issues
• Private whistleblowers who report violations of law, safety issues, or wage violations

Employees with questions about any of these issues can contact the firm to request an initial consultation with an attorney.

1011 San Jacinto Blvd #401

Austin, TX 78701

How to Contact the Firm

Prospective clients can reach the firm in several ways:

• Phone: (512) 271-5527
• Online contact form: Available on the firm's website on the Contact Us page
• Online booking: The firm offers online booking options to schedule a meeting with an attorney through its website.

Initial Consultations

The firm offers initial consultations where prospective clients can:

• Speak directly with an attorney about their employment issue
• Discuss the facts of their situation
• Learn about potential legal options and next steps

During the consultation, communications with attorneys are treated as confidential.

After reviewing the matter, the firm will determine whether the case is appropriate for representation, and the prospective client can decide whether to move forward with the firm.

Important Notes About the Online Form

• The website contact form sends information by non-encrypted email and is not fully secure.
• Submitting the contact form does not by itself create an attorney–client relationship.

Anyone seeking help with an employment law issue can use the contact information above to request an initial consultation with Austin Employment Lawyers, P.C.

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) can provide eligible employees with up to twelve weeks per year of unpaid, job-protected leave for certain qualifying reasons, such as:

• A serious health condition of the employee
• Caring for a family member with a serious health condition
• The birth or adoption of a child

FMLA leave can typically be taken:

• In one continuous block
• In separate blocks of time
• Intermittently (for example, an hour here or there for ongoing medical needs)

Some employers unlawfully interfere with FMLA leave or retaliate against employees for taking or requesting it. Austin Employment Lawyers, P.C. represents workers facing these issues.

Disability and Reasonable Accommodation

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Texas Labor Code, employers must provide reasonable accommodations to qualified employees with disabilities, unless doing so would create an undue hardship.

Reasonable accommodations can include, for example:

• Medical leave or additional time off
• Flexible schedules or flex time
• Additional break periods
• Remote or hybrid work arrangements
• Modified duties or equipment

The firm frequently represents employees who:

• Have been denied reasonable accommodations
• Have faced discipline or termination after requesting accommodations
• Need guidance on how to request accommodations or medical leave in a way that protects their rights

Employees with questions about leave rights or accommodations can contact Austin Employment Lawyers, P.C. to request an initial consultation.

Employees generally have the right to be paid for all hours they work. Problem areas can include:

• Working "off the clock"
• Unpaid administrative or preparatory work
• Improper time deductions for breaks or meal periods

If an employer promises to pay a certain wage, salary, commission, bonus, or tips, employees have the right to be paid what was promised under applicable law.

Minimum Wage and Overtime

Unless a specific legal exemption applies, employees who work more than forty hours in a workweek are generally entitled to overtime pay at one and one-half times their regular hourly rate.

Common issues include:

• Misclassifying employees as exempt/salaried when they should be treated as non-exempt/hourly
• Failing to pay overtime for hours worked over forty in a week
• Requiring employees to perform work before clocking in or after clocking out

Tips, Commissions, and Bonuses

The firm also represents employees in disputes involving:

• Unpaid or underpaid tips
• Unpaid commissions
• Unpaid or improperly withheld bonuses

Employees who believe they are not being properly paid wages, tips, commissions, or overtime can contact Austin Employment Lawyers, P.C. to request an initial consultation.

A termination may be wrongful or unlawful when an employee is fired for reasons that violate state or federal law. Broadly, these claims fall into two categories:

• "Who you are" termination: Firing an employee because of a protected characteristic such as race, color, disability, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
• "What you've done" termination: Firing an employee because they exercised a legal right or engaged in protected activity.

Evidence of wrongful termination can include, for example:

• Inconsistent or shifting explanations for the termination
• Selective enforcement of company policies
• Violations of the employer's own written policies or handbook

Retaliation and Protected Activity

Retaliation occurs when an employer takes adverse action against an employee because the employee engaged in protected activity. Examples of protected activity can include:

• Complaining about discrimination or harassment
• Reporting wage and hour violations (such as unpaid overtime or minimum wage issues)
• Raising workplace safety concerns
• Requesting or taking protected leave, such as FMLA leave
• Seeking to enforce other workplace rights under state or federal law

Common adverse actions in retaliation cases include termination, demotion, pay cuts, or other significant negative changes to the terms and conditions of employment.

Often, retaliation claims focus on whether the protected activity caused the adverse action. One factor that may be important is the timing between the complaint and the adverse action.

Employees who believe they have been wrongfully terminated or retaliated against can contact Austin Employment Lawyers, P.C. to request an initial consultation with an attorney.

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