I signed a non-compete with my Plano or Frisco employer. Is it enforceable in Texas?

Texas is significantly more friendly to non-compete enforcement than some other states (notably California, which largely prohibits them). Under the Texas Covenants Not to Compete Act (Tex. Bus. & Com. Code §15.50), a non-compete is enforceable only if it is ancillary to or part of an otherwise enforceable agreement — typically a confidentiality agreement, a training promise, an equity grant, or access to trade secrets — and the limitations on time, geographic area, and scope of activity must each be reasonable. Texas courts will enforce non-competes that meet these conditions and will reform (reduce) rather than void overly broad restrictions in many cases. For Collin County professionals working in the corporate campuses of Legacy West or Frisco, non-competes commonly run six months to two years, cover geographic areas ranging from specific Texas counties to a national or regional territory, and restrict working for named competitors or in specified functional roles. Whether your specific agreement is enforceable depends on its exact language, the underlying consideration, your role, your access to proprietary information, and what the restricted activity actually covers. Courts look at whether the restrictions are no greater than necessary to protect the employer's legitimate business interest. If you've received a termination letter citing your non-compete, been threatened with a lawsuit, or are considering leaving for a competitor, consult an employment attorney in Collin County before signing any severance agreement or making a career move. Agreeing to severance can extend or modify your obligations. Don't assume the agreement is unenforceable — Texas courts enforce properly drafted non-competes, and the consequences of a violation (injunction + damages) can be severe.

My employer at a Legacy West corporate campus hasn't paid my full wages or commission. What can I do in Texas?

Texas's primary wage protection statute is the Texas Payday Law (Tex. Lab. Code Ch. 61), which requires employers to pay wages on the scheduled pay dates and covers all agreed compensation including salary, hourly wages, commissions, bonuses, and certain other payments. You can file a wage claim with the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) online at twc.texas.gov within 180 days of the wages becoming due. The TWC investigates claims and can order payment plus administrative penalties, though its processes can be slow and the recoverable amounts are capped in some respects. For overtime claims — unpaid overtime for hours worked over 40 in a workweek — the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) provides stronger remedies: double damages (liquidated damages equal to the unpaid amount) and attorney fees, with no cap, and a two-year (or three-year for willful violations) statute of limitations. FLSA claims can be filed with the U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (Dallas District Office; 525 Griffin St., Suite 800, Dallas TX 75202; 972-850-2600) or pursued as a private lawsuit in federal court. Commission disputes are common in Collin County's real estate, insurance, and sales-driven industries, and the enforceability of commission plans depends on whether the commission was "earned" under the specific terms of the compensation agreement before employment ended. Because Texas law on commissions is fact-specific, disputes over whether a commission was due before or after termination often require legal analysis of the compensation plan language.

I believe I was discriminated against or harassed at my Collin County employer. What are my options?

Federal and Texas law prohibit workplace discrimination based on protected characteristics. Federal law — Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (race, color, sex, national origin, religion), the Americans with Disabilities Act (disability), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (age 40+), and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act — applies to employers with 15 or more employees (20 for age discrimination). The Texas Commission on Human Rights Act (TCHRA, Tex. Lab. Code Ch. 21) provides parallel protections and applies to Texas employers with 15 or more employees. To pursue a discrimination or harassment claim, you must first file an administrative charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). In Texas, because the TCHRA allows the EEOC and the TWC to dual-file charges, you have 300 days from the discriminatory act to file — longer than the 180-day federal default. The EEOC's Dallas District Office (207 S. Houston St., 3rd Floor, Dallas TX 75202; 800-669-4000) handles charges for Collin County workers. The EEOC will investigate, attempt mediation, and may issue a right-to-sue letter, after which you have 90 days to file a lawsuit in federal court. Collin County's large population of H-1B and other work-visa holders at corporate campuses may face additional vulnerabilities — retaliation fears related to sponsorship are real, and the intersection of immigration status and employment rights deserves careful handling. An employment attorney experienced in both discrimination law and immigration-employment issues can advise on strategies that protect both the discrimination claim and immigration status.

I was hurt at a Collin County construction site. Does Texas workers' comp cover me?

It depends on whether your employer subscribes to the Texas workers' compensation system or has opted out as a non-subscriber. Texas is unique among states in not requiring most private employers to carry workers' compensation insurance. This is especially relevant in Collin County's booming construction sector — residential subdivisions rising in Prosper, Celina, and Anna; commercial development in Frisco and McKinney — where smaller subcontractors often operate without coverage. If your employer is a workers' comp subscriber, the Texas workers' comp system is generally your exclusive remedy against that employer (you typically cannot sue the employer in court), but you can still sue any negligent third party — general contractors, other subcontractors, property owners, equipment manufacturers — whose negligence contributed to your injury. Third-party claims often carry substantially higher value than the workers' comp benefits alone. If your employer is a non-subscriber, you may sue the employer directly in civil court for negligence — and crucially, Texas strips non-subscriber employers of three major defenses: contributory negligence (they can't argue you were partly at fault), assumption of the risk (they can't argue you knew the job was dangerous), and the fellow-servant rule (they can't argue a co-worker caused it). This makes non-subscriber claims much more favorable for injured workers. To find out your employer's status, contact the Texas Department of Insurance (800-578-4677) or ask the employer directly — they are required to notify employees of their non-subscriber status. Consult an attorney early, as evidence of the accident conditions is time-sensitive.

I was fired. Am I eligible for unemployment in Texas, and what is the process?

Texas unemployment insurance benefits are administered by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). To be eligible, you must have been separated from employment through no fault of your own — a layoff, reduction in force, or a discharge not caused by your own misconduct satisfies this. If you quit, you must generally show good cause connected to the work (intolerable working conditions, safety hazards, or required to commit an illegal act) to receive benefits. Benefits are calculated based on your earnings in the "base period" (the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before your claim), up to a weekly maximum set by the Texas Legislature. To file, go to twc.texas.gov and file online, or call 800-939-6631. File promptly — you must apply within three weeks of separation to avoid losing benefits. You will need to certify that you are actively seeking work each week you request payment. If the employer disputes your claim (arguing you were fired for misconduct or that you quit without good cause), the TWC will investigate and you have the right to appeal an adverse determination through the TWC's administrative process and, ultimately, through the courts. For employees fired after a workplace dispute — discrimination complaint, leave request, safety complaint — consider whether the termination might be unlawful retaliation under federal or Texas law, which is a separate claim from unemployment and may entitle you to substantially more relief (back pay, front pay, compensatory damages, and attorney fees). Consult an employment attorney about both the unemployment claim and any potential retaliation claim simultaneously.

Employment Law in Collin County, Texas

Employment law in Collin County operates against the backdrop of one of the most concentrated corporate employment landscapes in North Texas. The Legacy West mixed-use development in Plano is home to the U.S. headquarters of Toyota Motor North America, a major JP Morgan Chase operations campus, FedEx Office headquarters, Frito-Lay headquarters, Ericsson's North America headquarters, and dozens of other corporate tenants employing tens of thousands of workers. The Star Entertainment Complex in Frisco hosts the Dallas Cowboys world headquarters and related businesses. Charles Schwab maintains a major operations center in the county. This concentration of large, multistate employers means that Collin County employees frequently face sophisticated HR departments and well-resourced legal defense teams when employment disputes arise. Texas follows the at-will employment doctrine — absent a written contract, collective bargaining agreement, or applicable statutory protection, either the employer or the employee may terminate the employment relationship at any time and for any reason that is not itself unlawful.

Non-compete agreements are more enforceable in Texas than in California or several other states, but they still require specific conditions to be valid under the Texas Covenants Not to Compete Act (Tex. Bus. & Com. Code §15.50). To be enforceable, a non-compete must be ancillary to or part of an otherwise enforceable agreement — such as a confidentiality agreement, a stock option grant, or specialized training — and its restrictions on time, geographic area, and scope of activity must be reasonable as to each of those three dimensions. Texas courts regularly enforce non-competes in corporate and tech-sector contexts if they are reasonably drafted. Collin County's large population of professionals who move between competing employers in the tech, financial services, and automotive-supply sectors encounters non-compete issues frequently. Employees who receive a termination letter citing a non-compete or who are threatened with enforcement action should consult an attorney quickly before signing severance agreements or accepting post-employment restrictions.

Texas wage-and-hour law is governed primarily by the Texas Payday Law (Tex. Lab. Code Ch. 61), which requires timely payment of all wages and authorizes the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to accept and investigate wage claims. Texas has not enacted a state overtime law independent of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), so overtime claims — unpaid overtime for non-exempt employees working more than 40 hours per week — generally proceed under the FLSA before the federal courts or through the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (Dallas District Office; 525 Griffin St., Suite 800, Dallas TX 75202; 972-850-2600). Collin County's large restaurant, retail, and service sectors and its construction workforce are common sources of wage claims. Misclassification of employees as independent contractors — common in construction, gig services, and the tech sector — is frequently the underlying issue. Commission disputes arise frequently in real estate, insurance, and sales-driven industries concentrated in the county.

Federal and Texas anti-discrimination protections cover Collin County employers with 15 or more employees (or 20 for age discrimination under the ADEA). Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (sex, race, national origin, color, religion), the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Texas Commission on Human Rights Act (TCHRA, Tex. Lab. Code Ch. 21) all apply. The EEOC's Dallas District Office (207 S. Houston St., 3rd Floor, Dallas TX 75202; 800-669-4000) handles charges of discrimination for Collin County workers. The EEOC charge must be filed within 300 days of the discriminatory act in Texas (because the TCHRA allows dual-filing). Many Collin County workers — particularly H-1B visa holders at corporate campuses — may be reluctant to file discrimination charges for fear of employment or immigration consequences; immigration attorneys working in conjunction with employment counsel can advise on risk mitigation strategies in those situations.

Texas workers' compensation is governed by the Texas Labor Code (Ch. 406 et seq.), and critically, most Texas private employers are not required to carry workers' comp. A significant number of smaller employers in Collin County's construction, landscaping, food service, and household-services sectors opt out as non-subscribers. For workers at non-subscriber employers, the exclusive-remedy bar does not apply and a direct negligence suit against the employer is available — with the employer losing the contributory negligence, assumption of risk, and fellow-servant defenses. Texas Workforce Commission unemployment claims for Collin County workers are filed online at twc.texas.gov. Legal Aid of Northwest Texas (888-529-5277) handles some employment matters for income-qualifying clients, and the State Bar of Texas (1-800-252-9690) provides attorney referrals.

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