Lorna Griffin Law Offices, PLLC

06/10/2026

Taking medical leave? Protect your job, not just your health.

Most employees pour everything into recovery and skip the simple steps that protect them if their employer pushes back later. Here's what to do before, during, and after taking medical leave:

1. Put everything in writing, start to finish. A dated email proves what you asked for and when. Do it for your initial leave request, your return date, any restrictions your doctor sets, and any accommodation you might need. Verbal requests fade fast, but written ones stay.

2. Give notice the right way. If your leave is foreseeable, like a scheduled surgery, FMLA generally asks for thirty days notice. If it is sudden, give notice as soon as you reasonably can. Either way, follow your employer's normal call-in process and leave procedures.

3. Know which law protects you. FMLA gives job-protected leave to eligible employees, generally those who have worked at least a year for an employer with fifty or more employees. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), an employee with a disability can request medical leave as a reasonable accommodation, even when FMLA does not apply. The two laws can overlap, so it helps to know which one fits your situation.

4. Handle medical certification carefully and keep copies of everything. Your employer can ask for medical certification supporting your leave, but it cannot demand your full medical history. Give what the law requires, then save your request, your employer's replies, your recent performance reviews, and every message about your leave. Contemporaneous records beat memory every time.

5. Watch what happens when you return. Retaliation for taking protected leave is illegal, and timing often matters. A surprise bad performance review that lines up with your recent leave is worth documenting. And never sign a severance agreement or release without reading it carefully and, if you can, get advice from an employment attorney first.

Worth keeping handy, should you need this in the future, and worth sharing if you think it could help someone.

05/29/2026

I recently worked on a free resource for Texas lawyers, published through the Law Practice Management Committee of the State Bar of Texas.

It's a practical handbook on using AI for social media marketing. The handbook walks through building a content plan, using AI prompts to draft posts, staying compliant with Texas advertising rules, and keeping firm branding consistent, all designed to fit into a busy solo or small firm practice.

AI can help Texas lawyers maintain a consistent, professional social media presence without adding time to a demanding practice. Here's how.

05/04/2026

https://youtu.be/_iKzgDEs8KY?si=p3GnBGV7Svtsb468
I had a great time sitting down with Zane Myers on the Trustcast Show to talk about something I care deeply about, ensuring employees understand their rights in the workplace.

Zane is a thoughtful, prepared interviewer who asked exactly the right questions, and I appreciated the space he gave to topics that don’t always get airtime: what at-will employment actually means in Texas, why the sequence preceding a termination matters more than most people realize, and what employees are quietly giving up when they sign a severance or noncompete agreement.

We also talked about what happens when an employee comes back from medical leave and lands on a performance improvement plan ("PIP"), and why that timing is rarely a coincidence to someone who spent 16 years on the employer side of these decisions before going to law school.

If you or someone you know has questions about a termination, a noncompete or severance agreement, or a workplace situation that just does not feel right, I hope this conversation is a useful starting point.

04/27/2026

You reported something at work and now everything feels different. Is this retaliation?

It might be. But there is a difference between plain vanilla retaliation and the unlawful kind, and that distinction matters.

3 things that feel like unlawful retaliation but may not be:

1. A sudden shift in how you are treated. Left off emails, excluded from meetings, passed over for a promotion. It feels like punishment and it may be. But unlawful retaliation means the action followed a legally protected activity, like reporting discrimination, requesting a medical accommodation, taking FMLA leave, or opposing harassment. Reporting someone's bad conduct usually does not necessarily meet the bar.

2. A manager who makes your life difficult. Cold, critical, impossible to please. If that followed a personality conflict or a complaint, even to HR, that does not qualify as protected activity. It may certainly be retaliation, but not the unlawful kind.

3. A decision that just feels wrong. Texas is an at-will state. Employers can make arbitrary, frustrating, petty, even unethical decisions and still be within the law. A terrible manager is not necessarily an unlawful one.

If what you reported involved discrimination based on age, race, religion, disability/ medical leave, and/ or gender, and what followed was a demotion, pay cut, or termination, that may be worth a closer look.

Whatever your situation, document everything and consult with an attorney that handles employment law. Most people do not know where they stand until they talk it through.

03/27/2026

Put on a PIP? Here is what you should be thinking about right now.

A Performance Improvement Plan (“PIP”) is a formal written notice from your employer that outlines performance concerns. You typically have the right to respond in writing, and if you disagree with what’s in it, say so clearly and professionally. Take any emotion out of it.

But beyond the paperwork, here is the practical reality: start getting your ducks in a row. Update your resume now, not later. Start quietly exploring other opportunities. And whatever you do, don’t quit. Resigning can affect your ability to collect unemployment benefits, and walking out the door on your own terms is rarely the advantage it feels like in the moment.

Stay professional at work every single day. Show up, perform, and document your own efforts in writing. Your emails, your check-ins, your completed assignments, and keep copies somewhere you control.

Now think about timing. Did this PIP come after you filed an HR complaint, requested a medical accommodation, took FMLA leave, raised a concern about pay, or opposed conduct you believed was discriminatory? If any of that sounds familiar, pay close attention. Employers may not retaliate against employees who engage in legally protected activity, and a PIP that follows protected activity is something worth examining carefully.

Look around you as well. If coworkers in similar roles with similar performance are not being treated the same way, document that observation too.

A PIP does not automatically mean your job is over or that anything unlawful has happened. But it is a signal to do the smart thing: protect yourself, stay informed, and know your rights.

03/19/2026

For more information about EEO laws in the workplace, employees should contact an employee-side employment attorney.

? Religious accommodations can also apply to religious expression and dress and grooming practices.

Examples may include wearing religious head coverings or a cross necklace, maintaining certain hairstyles or facial hair, or observing clothing requirements tied to religious beliefs.

The EEOC’s efforts under the Trump Administration reflect a renewed commitment to ensuring that workers of every faith can observe their beliefs without fear of discrimination.

Learn more: https://www.eeoc.gov/fact-sheet-religious-accommodations-workplace

03/18/2026

Sometimes the hardest part of a work separation is not the severance agreement itself. It's the moment you are caught off guard and you’re expected to make important decisions while overwhelmed.

I am grateful for clients who trust me in those moments. My role is simple: listen first, then bring clarity, because clarity brings better outcomes. Help shift the conversation back to what it is, a business decision, even when it feels personal.

Thankful for clients who allow me to be part of that process and for feedback like this.

03/04/2026

Five years ago, I opened the doors to Lorna Griffin Law Offices, PLLC, with a simple goal: help employees navigate some of the most difficult moments in their professional lives.

Since then, I’ve had the privilege of advocating for individuals across Texas facing workplace issues including employment discrimination, retaliation, severance negotiations, and noncompete defense. My practice also includes representation before the EEOC and litigation in courts across the great State of Texas.

Along the way, I’ve worked with thoughtful colleagues, trusted referral partners, and clients who placed their confidence in me during challenging times.

Running a small law firm also means continually learning the business side of law practice—building systems, refining processes, and finding better ways to serve clients while maintaining balance.

And to the colleagues, clients, and friends who have been part of the journey, thank you.

Thank you to everyone who has supported the firm over the past five years. I’m grateful for the trust and look forward to what comes next. Onward!

02/18/2026

Back to back mediations this week. For those who are not familiar, mediation is a confidential settlement conference. A neutral mediator works with both sides to evaluate risk and explore resolutions before trial. It's not a courtroom and there's no judge or jury to "decide" the case.

At mediation, the parties are in control of whether a resolution is reached. Sometimes cases resolve at mediation, and sometimes they do not. Either way, it's an important part of the litigation process. Mediation forces both sides to confront the strengths and weaknesses of their positions in a structured, focused way, and to realistically assess exposure, credibility, and cost.

We are prepared and we advocate for our client. Let's see where the numbers land.

02/06/2026

Yesterday, I attended the San Antonio NELA Chapter CLE, "An Insider's Guide to ADR: Best Practices in Arbitration & Mediation," presented by Gary Fowler, JAMS Arbitrator & Mediator. Excellent, practical insight from a practitioner, whose extensive experience litigating and resolving employment disputes clearly inform his approach as a neutral.

Always helpful to hear directly from the Arbitrator or Mediator what actually moves resolution forward. Key takeaways: prepare early, manage client expectations, and bring real decision-makers.

Real insight like this matters because it informs practitioners how best to prepare for arbitration or mediation in a way that meaningfully advances our clients' position. Thank you for your thoughtful perspective, Gary!