Texas Employment Attorneys

At DearLegal, we connect you with experienced Texas employment attorneys who handle TCHRA discrimination, Sabine Pilot wrongful-termination, wage, and non-compete claims for workers across Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, Fort Worth, and El Paso.

Free to use — no fee unless you win
Matched with a Texas attorney in 24 hours
30,000+ plaintiffs served nationwide

Free Texas employment case review

A Texas attorney will take a look. Or call 1-833-WELEGAL.

How we match your Texas employment case

When you submit a Texas employment matter, we route it through a national network of independent partner firms and put it in front of the one that fits best — based on the kind of case it is, what it is likely to involve, where it has to be handled, and who has capacity to take it on now.

Case type

A employment matter needs someone who handles employment work day to day, not a generalist. Practice area is the first filter.

Size and complexity

Some firms are built for catastrophic injury and multi-party litigation; others resolve straightforward claims quickly. We weigh what your matter is likely to involve against how each firm actually works.

Jurisdiction and licensing

Your matter is decided under Texas law, so it goes to an attorney licensed in Texas who regularly appears where your case would be heard.

Capacity and fit

Availability, conflicts of interest and language all matter. If the best-fit firm cannot take your case, we route it to the next one that can — or tell you plainly when no one in the network is the right answer.

Every partner reviews your case for free. Injury and workers’ compensation matters are handled on contingency — no fee unless you win. Other matters are quoted upfront, before you commit to anything.

Get started How DearLegal works

DearLegal provides marketing and matching services and is not a law firm. Submitting a case does not create an attorney-client relationship. Matches depend on case type, jurisdiction and firm availability.

Exhibit A

What happens with an employment claim in Texas

Day 0
Something happens at work.
A firing, demotion, missed pay, harassment, retaliation. Write down dates, names and what was said, and save emails and pay stubs before access disappears.
Within 24 hours
Tell us what happened.
Two minutes on this page. A Texas employment attorney reviews it for free and, if it’s a fit, you’re matched within 24 hours.
Weeks 1–4
Your attorney builds the record.
Personnel file, pay records, texts, witness accounts, the handbook. Employers keep meticulous files; you need one too.
Months 1–3
Demand, or an agency charge.
Many Texas employment claims start with a demand letter or a charge with the state agency or the EEOC. Your attorney picks the route that protects your deadlines.
Within 180 days
Suit is filed if it has to be.
Texas gives 180 days for this step. Missing it can end the claim before it starts.
Resolution
Settlement or judgment.
You pay nothing along the way. The fee — typically 33% — comes only out of what’s recovered. If nothing is recovered, you owe nothing.

State Anti-Discrimination Statute: TCHRA
Texas Commission on Human Rights Act (TCHRA), Tex. Lab. Code Ch. 21. Protected: race, color, disability, religion, sex (incl. pregnancy), national origin, age 40+. Sexual orientation and gender identity covered federally (Bostock).
Deadline to File Charge: 180 days
180 days to file with the Texas Workforce Commission Civil Rights Division (TWC) under Tex. Lab. Code § 21.202 — among the shortest. 300 days for sexual harassment claims at any size employer (SB 45, 2021). EEOC: 180 days (300 if FEPA work-share applies).
At-Will Doctrine: Strict at-will
Strict at-will state with very narrow public-policy exception — Sabine Pilot Service v. Hauck (1985), limited to refusal to commit illegal acts. Statutory protections for workers' comp retaliation (Tex. Lab. Code § 451.001), jury duty, military service.
Non-Compete Enforceability: Enforceable
Enforceable under Tex. Bus. & Com. Code § 15.50 if ancillary to an otherwise enforceable agreement and reasonable in time, geography, and scope. Tex. Bus. & Com. Code § 15.51 requires courts to reform overbroad provisions rather than strike entirely.
Minimum Wage & Overtime: $7.25
Texas minimum wage tracks federal $7.25/hour. Overtime under federal FLSA only. Texas Payday Law (Tex. Lab. Code § 61) provides remedies for unpaid wages.
Typical attorney fee: 33%
33%–40% contingency — no fee unless you win

Texas Labor Code Chapter 21, the Texas Commission on Human Rights Act (TCHRA, Tex. Lab. Code Ch. 21), prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, disability, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, and age (40+) at employers with 15+ employees. The 2021 amendments significantly broadened protections for sexual harassment (1+ employee, 300-day deadline). Sexual orientation and gender identity are not statutorily protected at state level but covered federally under Title VII per Bostock. Charges are filed with the Texas Workforce Commission Civil Rights Division (TWC) within 180 days for most discrimination claims, extended to 300 days for sexual harassment claims by SB 45 (2021). Texas is at-will with a narrow Sabine Pilot public-policy exception (only refusal to commit illegal acts). Non-competes are enforceable under Tex. Bus. & Com. Code § 15.50 if ancillary to an otherwise enforceable agreement and reasonable in time, geography, and scope. Texas minimum wage tracks federal $7.25/hour. Texas has no state paid sick or family leave.

Exhibit B

When to call an employment attorney in Texas

Does any of this sound like you? Tap what applies.

Exhibit C

Employment cases we take in Texas

Which one is closest to yours?

Race and national-origin discrimination

TCHRA and Title VII. Houston energy, Dallas corporate, Austin tech, San Antonio healthcare, and El Paso border-region workforces generate ongoing claims.

Sound like yours? A Texas attorney reviews it free — no fee unless they win.

Start my free review

Exhibit D

How much do Texas employment attorneys cost?

Sample settlement statement

Texas · Employment

Recovery$100,000

Attorney fee · 33%− $33,000

Case costs (advanced by firm)repaid at the end

To you$67,000

Due today$0

Try a different recovery$100,000

$5,000$3,000,000

Illustrative only. Your fee terms are set in a written agreement with your attorney and may include costs and expenses regardless of outcome.

Most Texas employment attorneys work on contingency: the fee is a share of what they recover, and nothing if they don’t.

Texas employment attorneys work on contingency or hybrid arrangements — typically 33%–40% of recovery. TCHRA, Texas Payday Law, and federal employment statutes shift attorney fees to the employer when the worker prevails.

A good attorney walks through every number at your free consultation — before you sign anything.

Get startedTakes about two minutes. No obligation.

Exhibit E

What your Texas employment compensation can include

A Texas employment recovery is built from several parts. Tap one to see what it covers.

Back Pay

Lost wages and benefits from termination to judgment under TCHRA and federal law. Uncapped.

DearLegal is a legal referral service, not a law firm. We connect individuals with licensed attorneys who can evaluate their case. Nothing on this page constitutes legal advice. Results vary based on individual circumstances.

Exhibit F

Texas employment questions, answered

Still unsure? Tell us what happened and a Texas attorney will review it for free.

Start free review

File with the Texas Workforce Commission Civil Rights Division (TWC) within 180 days for most discrimination claims, or 300 days for sexual harassment claims (under SB 45, 2021). TWC has a work-share with the EEOC. After right-to-sue, you can file in state court.

TCHRA covers race, color, disability, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, and age (40+). Sexual orientation and gender identity are not statutorily protected at state level but Title VII covers both per Bostock. Several Texas cities (Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio) have local fairness ordinances.

Sabine Pilot Service v. Hauck (1985) recognized Texas's narrow public-policy exception to at-will employment — a wrongful-discharge tort claim for termination based solely on the employee's refusal to perform an illegal act that carries criminal penalties. It is one of the narrowest public-policy exceptions in the country.

Yes, under Tex. Bus. & Com. Code § 15.50, if (1) ancillary to an otherwise enforceable agreement (typically employment), (2) supported by reasonable consideration, and (3) reasonable in time, geography, and scope. Courts MUST reform overbroad provisions under § 15.51(c), not strike them entirely.

Tex. Lab. Code § 61 requires timely payment of wages and provides for administrative wage-claim filing with the Texas Workforce Commission within 180 days of unpaid wages. Treble damages available for "bad faith" wage theft.

No. Tex. Lab. Code § 451.001 prohibits retaliation for workers' comp claims. Damages include reinstatement, lost wages, and punitive damages.

Not without legal review. TCHRA, federal Title VII / ADA / ADEA / FLSA / FMLA, and Sabine Pilot claims remain valuable. ADEA releases (40+) require 21 days to consider and 7-day revocation.