Texas companies that don't pay attention to their hiring or employee policies may end up discriminating against moms. Lawsuits stemming from motherhood status can cost a small business in money and reputation.

Companies take heed, here are five common ways businesses discriminate against moms:

Employment class action lawsuits involve a group of employees whose rights have been violated by an employer in a similar way. The class action can begin with one employee whose rights were violated under federal employment law, state law, or both.

Following the old saying of "strength in numbers," employment class actions are often used when the number of people affected by an employer's conduct is high.

Last time you were hired, did you take the time to read through every provision of your employment contract? If you didn't, you may be surprised by some of the terms that were included.

While employment contracts usually contain common elements like your start date, salary, and benefits, they sometimes include lesser-known provisions as well.

Below, we've laid out three important contract terms and how they affect you.

On the surface, it might seem like all employment contracts look the same.

But they're not all the same. And depending on the situation in front of you and the type of person you're hiring, you might find yourself in a position where you need to have different contracts for different people.

Now, there's nothing wrong with using a template for your contracts. But at times, those contracts may need to be tweaked here and there.

How should you, as an employer, handle employee investigations into harassment or discrimination?

Discrimination and harassment complaints are a huge headache for employers. Nobody likes an employment lawsuit, and nobody likes dealing with allegations of discrimination.

But when an employee complains about discrimination, you'd better take that complaint seriously. If you don't, you could find yourself in a tight spot, legally speaking.

How should a company respond to an employee lawsuit? If faced with a lawsuit, should the company just settle out of court? Or is it worth it to proceed with litigation?

There's no set answer for that and as with anything, the answer depends on the facts and circumstances of the case.

In general, people shy away from costly litigation. So there is a general notion that settlement is better than a long drawn-out battle in court. Not all would agree, however.

The economy is getting better and for many, that means they'll be hitting the job market for the first time in a long time.

The first step to landing a new job is to apply and interview for the position. But did you know that employment discrimination can arise even before you set foot in an interview room?

Valentine’s Day can become an issue for employers and employees alike.

As an employer, the last thing you want is an employment lawsuit stemming from an unfortunate incident on Valentine’s Day.

It’s wise to have a look at your workplace policies and send out an advisory to the employees a few days before Valentine’s Day. If you’re realizing now that you should have handled Valentine’s Day differently this year, here are a few things you should consider to prevent sexual harassment lawsuits next year:

February marks the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Family Medical Leave Act. President Bill Clinton signed the FMLA into law in 1993. It took effect later that year.

What is the FMLA?

In a nutshell, the FMLA is a law that helps employees take sick or family leave. It gives eligible employees the right to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for a loved one. It also allows the employee to take that time for sick leave.

What do you do if you haven't received your tax forms from your employer in the mail?

How do you go about filing for your taxes when you don't have the necessary paperwork? Or if you have your paperwork, what do you do if it's incorrect?

Your employer is required to file a Form W-2 for employees, but not for independent contractors. If you're an employee, then you should receive your Form W-2 by February 1.