The Employers' Lawyers' Blog
The Treaty Oak Blog is often authored by Natalie Lynch, founding attorney and resident “voice of reason” when it comes to Texas employment law. She keeps it practical, candid, and refreshingly jargon-free. We would be remiss not to mention that the business and legal communities of Texas, Colorado, and Wyoming constantly inspire us to keep learning. Our incredible clients also always give us a platform to share the lessons we’ve learned.
W-8BEN Is Not a Hiring Compliance Checkbox
A pattern employers see often: someone hires a foreign personal assistant (very commonly in the Philippines), collects a W-8BEN, and believes they “handled the compliance.” Or maybe no W-8 is collected because hiring abroad feels like avoiding compliance obligations. Collecting the right W-8 form matters, but it only addresses one
Outsmarting Smartphones in the Workplace
Feeling like employee smartphones are ticking time bombs of workplace drama? The workforce is glued to devices, and those devices hold texts, photos, app messages, and location data that can shape the outcome of a dispute. From sneaky texts to cloud-stored shenanigans, digital evidence can be a goldmine, but only
The Supreme Court Is Quietly Rewriting the Rules Employers Rely On
Austin, TX | North Carolina | Wyoming | Colorado The Supreme Court has been productive this term, which is a polite way of saying it has been quietly dismantling assumptions that businesses have operated under for decades. By the time the last opinions arrive in late June, this term will
Your Workplace Investigation Might Need a License. Yes, Really.
If you have ever handled a harassment complaint, retaliation allegation, or “this manager is a walking liability” situation, you already know the drill. You move fast. You document. You keep it as calm and confidential as possible. You either investigate internally or bring in an outside investigator so it is
The Non-Compete Nightmare Employers Need to Rethink
Feeling like you are dodging legal landmines every time you draft an employment contract?Worried that attempts to keep employees from jumping ship could create unexpected exposure? The world of non-competes and their cousins, TRAPs, clawbacks, and similar provisions, has become increasingly complex. Let’s walk through what is actually happening and
When Church Scandals Teach Corporate Lessons: What Your Business Can Learn from Faith-Based Investigations
You probably did not expect a deep dive into how megachurches handle their scandals. But stick with this. What happens when Pastor Bob is accused of misconduct has more in common with what happens when a senior executive faces allegations than most employers realize. Different structure. Different language. Same leadership
Telework Accommodation Requests Are Coming. Is Your Process Ready?
Employer Advisory What the new EEOC and OPM guidance means for private employers navigating return to office mandates and a coming wave of disability accommodation requests. What Happened On or around February 11–12, 2026, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) and the Office of Personnel Management (“OPM”) jointly released
Employee Drama Dispatch: The First 48 Hours Matter
Employers: if you employ humans, you employ chaos. This issue is built for the week when someone says something wild, does something worse, and then acts shocked there is an investigation file. This will stay practical, slightly snarky, and focused on the only thing that matters during employee drama: what
The 10 Things Quietly Stressing Employers Out Right Now (And Why It Is Not Just You)
An apology in advance. This email is basically a tour of the very real reasons employers and owners feel stressed right now. The goal is not to add panic. The goal is to name what is already living in the background of inboxes, calendars, and leadership meetings. Let’s talk about
The Most Dangerous Document in Your Business
You know that thick safety manual on the shelf that nobody has opened since the last audit? The one that says, “Safety is our number one concern?” Plaintiffs’ lawyers love that thing. In this edition, three topics are covered that keep employer clients awake at night, and how Treaty Oak
Your Snarky Yet Steady Guide to AI in the Workplace
Dear Overworked HR Managers and Stressed-Out Business Owners, You’re sweating bullets over AI, aren’t you? Your employees are whispering about ChatGPT drafting their TPS reports, your competitors are bragging about “AI-driven efficiencies,” and you’re wondering if you’re one bad algorithm away from a lawsuit or, worse, irrelevance. Relax. Treaty Oak
PEO-Curious? Read This Before You Sign (And Save Yourself a Very Expensive Unwind Later).
See if this scenario sounds familiar (anonymized, but you’ve met this company before): A fully remote, 10-person U.S. team hit a messy personnel issue and asked, “Should we just hand this to a PEO?” They were hoping for two things: Compliance confidence A way to “professionalize HR” without adding headcount