Texting While Driving, Unpaid Interns: Handbook Statements Updated

Author: Melissa Gonzalez Boyce, XpertHR Legal Editor

Effective September 1, 2015, Texas employers will be prohibited from sexually harassing an unpaid intern. Specifically, sexual harassment of an unpaid intern will be considered an unlawful employment practice if the employer or its agents or supervisors knew or should have known that the harassment occurred and failed to take immediate and appropriate action.

In addition, effective September 15, 2015, it will be unlawful under Maine law for a person who has been issued a learner's permit to operate a motor vehicle while using a handheld electronic device/mobile telephone. It is also now unlawful for a commercial driver to text or use a handheld mobile telephone while driving a commercial motor vehicle.

As a result of these legal developments, the EEO Handbook Statement: Texas and Cell Phone Use / Texting While Driving Handbook Statement: Maine have been updated. Employers with employees in these states should use these revised statements in their handbooks.