Yearly Archives: 2021

Employer Alert – SB 483   Oregon’s Anti-Retaliation Law Now in Effect  What’s New   On June 15, 2021, the Oregon Governor signed SB 483 into law, effective immediately. This bill extends protections for workplace whistleblowers in Oregon, making it easier for workers to claim retaliation if punished or terminated by their employers after making a workplace complaint. The SB483 law says, if an employee makes a complaint about employment matters or safety, and is terminated within […]

Want an honest, insider view of your business? Do employee exit interviews!  Why Should I do Employee Exit Interviews in 2021?  It’s a tough job market for employers. Understanding why your employees choose to leave provides insight on how to retain good workers. Performing an exit interview with a departing employee can be a source of unfiltered, insider information that gives you valuable intel about the inner workings of your business. By asking the right […]

Some tips to help you find and keep good workers!  COVID-19 Recruiting—Time to address the elephant in the room! Many employers believe that the extra UI benefits many workers are receiving as a result of the pandemic have drastically reduced the incentive for the unemployed to look for work.  And while this belief may be true, it is not the only reason there is a missing labor force. Many potential workers still have childcare or […]

Yesterday the Oregon Health Authority released guidance that employers can allow fully vaccinated employees to work without social distancing or a mask (in most cases). That guidance was contingent on Oregon OSHA changing workplace rules. As expected, Oregon OSHA has released a statement in line with the OHA guidance that employers who choose to verify vaccination status of employees may make these changes to the workplace. All other OR-OSHA requirements on COVID-19 workplace protections remain […]

EMPLOYER ALERT: Mask and Social Distancing Requirements Effective May 18, 2021, the Oregon Health Authority has lifted the mask and social distancing requirements (except for some specific industries and public spaces that have been excluded) for fully vaccinated employees and members of the general public. This new guidance states that, “Individuals in Oregon are no longer required to wear a face mask or physically distance, whether indoors or outdoors, two weeks after their final COVID-19 vaccination […]

What every employer needs to know before you Google that name  Tempted to Google that job applicant’s name? It’s easy, free, and you get immediate results. Whether you can really use those results, well … that’s another story!  Type a person’s name into an online search engine, and you might pull up a video from YouTube, a profile on Facebook, photos, and many other pieces of information that can instantly create a “social resume” for that […]

Feedback or Backlash?  Have you recently seen or been told about a negative comment directed at your company on social media? Or read a nasty comment on Facebook from a disgruntled customer about the lack of good customer service or a bad review about one of your products?   What starts as a single negative comment in a simple post from a community member can quickly turn into a problem. To ignore a negative posting is […]

Consider granting a “Leave of Absence” for workers too scared to come back to the office  UPDATED 4/29/2021 The threat of contracting COVID-19 is a serious fear for many employees and must not be underestimated nor belittled. Many employees are reluctant to return to work or return to the worksite. What are the legal alternatives to helping those employees, while maintaining the viability of your business?  Can A Refusal to Return to Work Be Grounds […]

To stay on top of issues important to employers, Cardinal Services tracks the 2021 Oregon Legislative Session for potential laws that will impact employers and business owners.  Only bills that have been assigned to a committee and have had a work session scheduled still have a chance of becoming law. Here are the remaining employer-related bills being considered (with links to the full-text of each bill).  HB 2474 – Oregon Family Leave Act [OFLA]: This […]

COVID-19 vaccination policies are a top concern for employers and employees alike  Should employers require workers to receive a COVID-19 vaccination, as a condition of continued employment? Here’s what the polls say…  Employers are strong on vaccine encouragement, but split on requiring mandated vaccinations for employment. A recent Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) survey shows a differing opinion among employers.  While 81% of employers strongly encourage their employees to get vaccinated, 55% were uncertain […]