A Bexar County judge just allowed San Antonio employers to enjoy their Thanksgiving holiday a little bit more. Bexar County District Court Judge Peter Sakai advised all counsel on Friday that he is granting the requested temporary injunction in a lawsuit challenging the now-named San Antonio Safe and Sick Time ordinance. He has asked the parties to come to an agreement on the language of the order and agree to a trial date. This ruling means that employers are not yet required to comply with the ordinance, which was scheduled to go into effect December 1, 2019.
Texas employers continue to anxiously await the Texas Supreme Court’s ruling on the legality of the Austin paid sick leave ordinance. A second motion for extension of time on the briefing on the merits of that appeal was granted last month. The briefing schedule is not expected to be completed until January 7, 2020. This could mean that a decision will not be made until after April 1, 2020, the date the City of Dallas has said it will start enforcing its paid sick leave ordinance. The lawsuit on the City of Dallas’ paid sick leave ordinance remains pending in the Eastern District of Texas.
So what does this all mean for Texas employers? Enjoy your Thanksgiving and the rest of the holiday season. Nothing is likely to happen on these ordinances until 2020.
If you have any questions regarding this Alert, or other labor or employment issues, please contact the author, Rachel Ullrich, rullrich@fordharrison.com, partner in our Dallas office. You may also contact the FordHarrison attorney with whom you usually work.