Dear HR, We own a retail shop, and once a month my family participates in a volunteer day for needy families in the community. We want to ensure it will not be an issue if our employees also participate by volunteering with us. It is not mandatory that the employees participate and it’s during a time when our shop is closed. It is a Christian-based event, but we don’t talk about religion, we just help […]
Dear HR, My employee is showing up to work dressed in very wrinkly clothes (looks like they pulled them straight from the laundry basket), and their body odor makes my eyes water. I actually had a customer complain about it yesterday. What can I do or say? HR Answer: Having an employee with hygiene issues can be a delicate situation. As long as you have a legitimate business reason (such as your employee interacting […]
Pending Laws that will Impact Employers As the United States federal government is stealing most of the limelight, it can be easy to forget that the Oregon Legislature is in session and working on several bills that can profoundly impact Oregon employers. At the moment there are four notable bills that are making the rounds within the legislature. House Bill 2193: “Relating To Employee Work Schedules” Better known as ‘Secure Scheduling’ by its advocates, […]
BOLI Changes Manufacturing Overtime Laws Retro-Effective on January 1, 2017 Overtime now must be calculated daily AND weekly starting January 1st. Mills, factories and manufacturing businesses are liable for a daily overtime requirement: in addition to the normal over 40 hours per week pay requirements that apply to other business types, manufacturing businesses are required to pay 1.5 times’ the employee’s regular rate of pay for hours that exceed 10 hours in a single […]
Dear HR, This new sick time law is still so confusing! My company offers 40 hours of PTO to our employees every year on January 1st. PTO can be used for vacation days, personal time, or any qualifying sick time reason. One of my employees used his 40 hours of PTO in February to go on vacation. Now they want to use 8 hours of sick time for an absence last Monday when he was home […]
Dear HR: I have an employee that is late all the time. If they are late again tomorrow, may I send them home and suspend for a day? Or will I have to pay ‘show-up’ pay? Please help! HR Answer: Poor performers and the chronically late employee are inevitable. Try not to let issues build up to the point where you are forced into a hasty decision such as an immediate on-the-spot suspension. The […]
OR-OSHA ALERT! Shorter Fall – Steep Penalties For a number of years the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OR-OSHA) has had a rule in place that if a worker could fall 10 feet or more to the next lower level then fall protection had to be put into place to protect that worker. Of course there are exceptions—such as steel tower builders who must have had an excellent lobby because their workers do not […]
Dear HR: I have two employees that just can’t seem to get along. They are always complaining about each other. Other employees have mentioned that both of them are difficult to work with due to this issue and that they are constantly complaining about each other to co-workers. Is this harassment? HR Answer: It does not appear these statements and behaviors meet the legal definition of ‘harassment.’ Harassment is behavior directed to another because […]
Dear HR: I own a small retail shop with a warehouse full of product. My employees have to load and unload heavy boxes. I know that I can’t ask applicant’s if they have any health problems or back injuries that would prevent them from doing the heavy lifting, but I really don’t want to hire someone who’s not physically able to do the work. How am I supposed to find out if the people I […]
Dear HR: My employee wants to take two months off work because he and his girlfriend are having a baby. Do I have to let him have the entire two months off? They aren’t married and his girlfriend doesn’t work, so she will be home with the baby. If yes, will I have to pay him for the time he takes off? HR Answer: Oregon Family Leave Act (OFLA) and Family and Medical Leave […]
