Blog


Recruiting Tips for a Tough Job Market

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 […]


Time to Unmask? OSHA Answers.

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 […]


Time to unmask? That’s a good question.

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 […]


Using Social Media to Screen Prospective Employees

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 […]


Monitoring Social Media to Protect Your Business

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 […]


Employees Who Refuse to Return to the Workplace

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 […]


2021 Oregon Legislative Alert

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 […]


“No Jab, No Job?” Employer Vaccination Guidelines

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 […]


Ask HR | Handling Chronic Employee Complainers

Q. I have a pretty tight-knit crew that has worked together for about one year. The trouble is, I have one employee who is constantly complaining to their supervisor and me, the owner, and to the team. I have tried to handle some of their concerns, but it seems that their job has become nothing but a source of ongoing negative remarks, complaints, and issues. My crew has even started to complain about the complainer, […]


Establishing Employee Etiquette for Virtual Meetings

Setting up a conduct policy can prevent embarrassing mishaps  In March of 2020, many employees began working from home. Businesses have had to rely on virtual meetings for both staff and customers by using Microsoft Teams, Zoom, WebEx, Skype, or other video communication platforms.  On the upside for workers, these meetings from home have become a casual dress day—which on the surface, seems like a good thing. Employees have traded their standard office attire for […]