Labor laws lag in Texas as burnout surges

DALLAS (KDAF) — According to a recent report by Glassdoor, burnout among workers in the U.S. has reached new highs in 2025, with a 32% increase in the mention of “burnout” in employee reviews. In light of this, a new study by Florida personal injury attorneys at injuredinflorida.com has identified the states with the strongest and weakest worker protections in America.

The study analyzed 19 different factors that affect employee rights across all 50 states, including minimum wage, workplace fatality rates, paid leave policies, anti-discrimination laws, and unionization levels.

States with the weakest employee rights (scores out of 100)

Rank	State	Score	Minimum Wage	Anti-union Laws	Paid Leave
50	Wyoming	11.06	$7.25	Yes	No
49	Mississippi	11.99	$7.25	Yes	No
48	Texas	13.40	$7.25	Yes	No
47	Oklahoma	13.93	$7.25	Yes	No
46	Idaho	13.97	$7.25	Yes	No

The study also identified states with the fewest worker protections, where employees face greater challenges. Wyoming ranked last with a score of just 11.06 out of 100, hampered by the nation’s highest workplace fatality rate (16 deaths per 100,000 workers) and the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.

Mississippi placed 49th with a score of 11.99, performing poorly across multiple metrics, including having the highest percentage of full-time workers below the poverty level (5%) and the lowest percentage of workers able to work from home (6%).

Texas ranked 48th with a score of 13.40, characterized by long working hours (averaging 36.5 hours weekly), anti-union legislation, and no state-level overtime protections beyond federal requirements.

Oklahoma and Idaho completed the bottom five states, scoring 13.93 and 13.97, respectively. Both states lack paid family leave, sick leave, and state-level overtime laws.

States with the strongest employee rights (scores out of 100)

Rank	State	Score	Minimum Wage	Anti-union Laws	Paid Leave
1	New York	83.49	$15.00	No	Yes
2	Connecticut	82.46	$15.69	No	Yes
3	New Jersey	82.06	$15.13	No	Yes
4	Washington	81.45	$16.28	No	Yes
5	California	80.95	$16.00	No	Yes