With the flu widespread in Texas companies are putting a focus on how to keep their employees and workplace healthy this flu season.
In the middle of a national flu epidemic it's business as usual at M&D Supply.
"We have been lucky we haven't really had anyone get the flu," said general manager Rachel Diaz says who says she owes her healthy staff to the flu shot.
Back in October the store owners brought in pharmacy technicians to give out immunizations.
"The cost for them was $25 a shot and we paid $12.50 and the company paid $12.50," said Diaz.
About half of the M&D employees took advantage of the half price flu shot that they were able to get right at work without making a doctor's appointment.
"When you go to the doctor you have to pay a deductible and then you have to pay for the shot on top of that so this was just a better opportunity," said Diaz.
The shot at the supply store was optional but if an employer were to make the flu shot mandatory the employee could potentially file a civil assault case against the company.
"An assault being you made something invasive go into their body that could harm them from a side affect and the law protects that," said local attorney David Starnes.
But the law doesn't protect you from being sent home from work if you are sick even if you don't want to go.
"If you don't have sick days or vacation days then it's going to be highly likely that you're not going to be compensated during that time," said Starnes.
Starnes says employees need to know Texas is a right to work state meaning management can fire a staff member for any reason including not getting the flu shot.
Starnes also says there is a law called the Family Medical Leave Act that will allow an employee to miss work in the event that one of their family members that they live with gets the flu.
