Oregon lawmakers just passed more stringent civil penalties and expanded the scope of workplace safety investigations – which means employers need to immediately acquaint themselves with these modifications and grasp the...more
Despite the swirling economic volatility around the country, more than 40% of employers plan on growing their workforce in 2022 – and one in four businesses will pick up the pace this year and hire more employees than they...more
The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently adopted a temporary rule requiring employers to implement safety measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The rule, which took effect November 16 and remains...more
11/19/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
New Rules ,
Notice Requirements ,
Occupational Exposure ,
OSHA ,
Posting Requirements ,
Quarantine ,
Risk Assessment ,
Sick Employees ,
Social Distancing ,
Workplace Safety
Governor Brown recently announced that Oregon’s businesses will be reopening in three phases. The first phase began on May 15 for counties that have met certain public health prerequisites, including a declining prevalence of...more
5/18/2020
/ Business Operations ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Governor Brown ,
Health and Safety ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Public Health ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Retailers ,
Social Distancing ,
Workplace Safety
The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on the workforce, shuttering businesses, prompting mass layoffs, and compelling speedy transitions to remote work. If your company has rushed to implement a temporary...more
COVID-19 has forced numerous employers to close facilities and terminate employees. With unemployment rates expected to skyrocket, Oregon’s Employment Department (OED) has responded to this crisis by enacting a new rule that...more
Governor Brown issued an order on Monday requiring Oregonians to stay home whenever possible to help minimize the spread of COVID-19. This Order is more expansive than the order that banned seated dining at the state’s bars...more
3/27/2020
/ Business Closures ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Executive Orders ,
Food Service Workers ,
Governor Brown ,
Health and Safety ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Operators of Essential Services ,
Public Health ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Retailers
Wednesday was a busy day for Oregon employers – both from a federal and local level. In Washington, D.C., President Trump signed into law the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, introducing an emergency expansion of the...more
3/23/2020
/ Amended Rules ,
BOLI ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Emergency Rule ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Governor Brown ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Leave ,
School Closures ,
Sick Leave ,
State Labor Laws ,
Trump Administration ,
Wage and Hour
Governor Brown announced earlier this week that she is banning seated dining at the state’s bars and restaurants and prohibiting gatherings of more than 25 people. The March 16 executive order 20-07 includes exemptions for...more
3/18/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Executive Orders ,
Food Service Workers ,
Governor Brown ,
Health and Safety ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Public Health ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Retailers ,
Workplace Safety
While many Oregonians were enjoying a leisurely holiday break last week, Oregon lawmakers were busy enacting the nation’s most generous paid leave program. Governor Kate Brown signed a law into effect on July 1 that will...more
7/11/2019
/ Employee Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Governor Brown ,
Medical Leave ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Paid Leave ,
Payroll Taxes ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
In 2016, the White House issued a report that expressed a call to action for noncompetition reform at the state legislative level throughout our nation. Since then, many states have tinkered with their noncompetition laws in...more
If you could have any super power, what would it be? Many would ask for perfect timing, because timing is everything. An individual with great timing would be hilarious, an amazing investor, great at any timing-based sports,...more
Weeks before the bulk of Oregon’s new equal pay law will take effect, the state Bureau of Labor and Industries released implementing regulations to clarify the obligations that will soon be borne by the state’s employers....more
12/14/2018
/ BOLI ,
Compensation & Benefits ,
Employee Handbooks ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Pay ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Job Applicants ,
New Legislation ,
Pay Discrimination ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Protected Class ,
Safe Harbors ,
Salary/Wage History ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Communication
In “Alice in Wonderland,” the Queen of Hearts once proclaimed, “Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” This appears to be the rallying cry of many plaintiffs across the country when...more
7/2/2018
/ ADEA ,
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Corporate Culture ,
Discrimination ,
Employee Handbooks ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Harassment ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Personal Liability ,
Protected Class ,
State Labor Laws ,
Title VII
There’s good news for Oregon employers about the recently concluded 2017 legislative session: unlike years past, there were only a very small number of workplace laws passed. In fact, the Oregon Legislature only passed four...more
8/17/2017
/ Business Justification ,
Earned Sick Time ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Pay ,
Fair Workweek ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Governor Brown ,
New Legislation ,
Over-Time ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Pay Gap ,
State and Local Government ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour ,
Work Schedules