Blog

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released a final rule on January 9th that changes the criteria for classifying independent contractors.  The final rule requires companies to weigh various factors to determine whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor. The final rule will take effect on March 11.    Background to the Ruling  In June 2023, a decision from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) altered the standard employers must use to […]

A recent memo from the Federal Office of Personnel Management  has raised new questions for the private sector.    New Federal guidance:  On Aug. 22, 2023, the Federal Office of Personnel Management issued guidance regarding whether the Fair Labor Standards Act requires federal workers to be compensated for their commute to work. This new guidance also included additional rules about federal teleworkers regarding pay and hours. The bottom line: it depends on whether a worker is […]

 The IRS just announced the per-mile reimbursement rates for 2024. Beginning January 1, 2024, here are the new rates for the following business categories:   67 cents per mile driven for standard business use [an increase of 1.5 cents from 2023].  21 cents per mile driven for qualified active-duty Armed Forces members for medical travel or for moving purposes [a decrease of 1 cent from 2023].  14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations. […]

  Remote Working by the Numbers   27% of U.S. employees work remotely as of 2023, according to a new US Census study.  16% of U.S. companies are fully remote in 2023.  15% of work opportunities in the US are categorized as “remote jobs.”  From 2018 to 2021, the number of fully remote workers grew 4x larger [2018 saw 6% of employees being fully remote, which increased to 26.7% in 2021].  36.2 million American employees are […]

Increase in Number of Employee Paid Sick Days | SB-616 Effective January 1, 2024  The new law guarantees employees five paid sick days per year, up from three days.     New Leave for Reproductive Loss | SB 848 Effective January 1, 2024  A subset of California’s bereavement leave law allows up to five days off work for reproductive-related losses, such as miscarriage or stillbirth.   California employers with five or more employees are covered under the […]

EMPLOYERS REQUIRED TO USE THE LATEST VERSION  OF FORM I-9 STARTING TODAY,  WEDNESDAY. NOVEMBER 1, 2023    The new form from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has been available to download since August–but is now required for all employers to use as of today, NOVEMBER 1, 2023.      The new I-9 form includes the following form alterations:   Format changes include the reduction of Sections 1 and 2 to a single page.   Slight revisions to the Lists of Acceptable […]

OREGON EMPLOYERS   Don’t forget Oregon Labor Laws on Meal and Rest Periods for Your Employees!  Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industries [BOLI] requires employers to provide PAID rest periods of at least 10 minutes for adults and 15 minutes for minors during each four hours (or major portion) of work time.    As far as possible, the rest period is to be taken in the middle of the work segments and may not be added to […]

What OREGON Employers Need to Know to Stay Compliant with Labor Regulations     Veterans Day is a Federal Holiday  Currently, four states in the U.S. require employers to give their employees who are veterans time off on Veterans Day (November 11th). Those states include Oregon, Iowa, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.    Request for Veterans Day Off  Employees who are veterans (as defined by Oregon law) and are scheduled to work on Veterans Day may request […]

If you employ in California, you will need to make changes to your background check process to comply with the new Fair Chance Act (FCA) regulations   CURRENT LAW – The California Fair Chance Act The original law went into effect in 2018. It prohibits employers from asking about an applicant’s criminal history until after a conditional offer of employment has been made to the applicant. If an employer contemplates not hiring an individual because […]

Onboarding is a detailed process by which new hires are integrated into a company. Onboarding is not just about completing new-hire paperwork and training; it must also include learning about your organization’s operational structure, culture, mission, values, and vision for the future. Most valuable of all, a robust onboarding program will also include the opportunity for a new hire to be mentored by veteran employees.   “No-Cost” Onboarding Tips As appropriate, here are four key […]