Martinez Firm, PLLC

09/03/2021

I am so proud to announce the publication of Experiencing Employment Discrimination Law, an employment law textbook I authored with UNT Dallas College of Law professor Michael P. Maslanka. Mike created the book's framework, which unlike most legal textbooks, teaches the subject matter from the perspective of a practicing lawyer. It begins with six threshold questions that must be answered before taking any case, such as whether a defendant company has sufficient employees to create coverage under the law and whether an adverse action has occurred. Then the chapters are divided into subject areas (race, age, s*x, etc.) and include real-world exercises for students (i.e. what questions would you ask in a plaintiff's deposition?). Thank you so much to Mike for asking me to join him in this project!

08/19/2021

Thanks so much for the interview today 8/19/21 on Texas Standard to talk about vaccines at work - the chat starts at 41:30.

Texas Standard delivers up-to-the-moment coverage of politics, lifestyle, the environment, technology, innovation and money from a uniquely Texas perspective.

09/24/2020

This is a wonderful talk on gender privilege - that also is a great departure point for us to think about white privilege. I got a tear in my eye when she talked about the cumulative effect of people doubting you. I bet many of us can relate to that.

If you’re a man, at one point or another you’ve probably thought to yourself, “I will never understand women!” And if you’re a woman, “what's wrong with men?...

09/12/2020

Interview with Samantha Martinez at State Bar conference discussing gender pay gap and law firm life
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Amc_1VBti6w&feature=youtu.be

07/20/2020

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/16/sports/football/washington-s*xual-assault-harassment-dan-snyder.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article

The organization hired a Washington-based law firm after 15 women said that they were s*xually harassed while employed by the team.

06/16/2020

Exactly.

Even as the oil sector has become increasingly global and technology-driven, it remains one of the whitest industries in the country. In the wake of national protests over the killing of George Floyd at the hands of police, the industry is under pressure to diversify is workforce like never before.....

06/03/2020

What is structural racism? The Aspen Institute defines it as:
A system in which public policies, institutional practices, cultural representations, and other norms work in various, often reinforcing ways to perpetuate racial group inequity. It identifies dimensions of our history and culture that have allowed privileges associated with “whiteness” and disadvantages associated with “color” to endure and adapt over time. Structural racism is not something that a few people or institutions choose to practice. Instead it has been a feature of the social, economic and political systems in which we all exist.
Here is an article about how structural racism intersects with the virus-induced economic downturn:

Black employment rates are plummeting, and the evolving wealth and income hit could fall on the shoulders of those ill-equipped to bear it.

06/03/2020

This article gives tips for older workers who fear they will be targeted in layoffs. Good employers will look at each employee's individual value when selecting whom to layoff. But some companies delegate these decisions to line managers who may favor younger workers, or use the layoff as an excuse to get rid of those who complain or have medical conditions.

You can measure a person's character by how they respond when the unexpected occurs. The same applies in the business world.

05/05/2020

Older workers always have a harder time finding a new job after termination. Now that is worse.

As companies will be tightening their belts to save money, they will also need to cut costs. It's economically convenient for companies to layoff well-paid workers, as there is a greater amount of money saved. There's a correlation between the age of an employee and his or her compensation level.

04/05/2020

Post your employment law questions to me, whether related or not.

04/05/2020

The courts have been slow to recognize the role of intersectionality at work: how harassment of a low-level, immigrant office cleaner is different from harassment of a college-educated, native born professional, to give one example. Hopefully we can push these issues as lawyers, and the courts can catch up.

A feeling of having to protect against bias or unfair treatment, of always having to be on guard.

04/05/2020

Many of you have asked: What is a furlough? A furlough is an unpaid leave of absence from your employer. Usually you get to stay on company benefit plans. The employer intends to bring you back, but it does not have to. You are entitled to unemployment benefits during a furlough.
Post any questions!