HR News


Oregon Sick Leave Update: Accrual Capping

When the Oregon Sick Leave Law was unveiled there were several parts of the law that were unclear. The short timeline between passage of the law and the effective date meant the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) had to rush out Oregon Administrative Rules (OARs). Unfortunately, the OARs did not address all of the uncertain parts of the law. Senate Bill 299 was passed to try to help clarify some items of concern. […]


OregonSaves – Final Rules for Co-Employment

OregonSaves is the new savings plan employers must implement if they are not offering a qualified retirement plan to employees. The new law mandates all employers must offer employees access to a retirement savings plan. If there is only one employer, the requirements are clear. For clients who co-employ* with Cardinal Services, the new mandate had the potential to be more complex. Not to worry – Cardinal has your back! Here’s how co-employment and the […]


Battle Clause: Santa vs. the Establishment

Santa Claus. Some of us dress like him.  Many of us have even sat on his lap.  Almost all of us have seen him—and in the coming month, he’ll be everywhere during this time of year. He’s BIG.  He also evokes a range of emotions in our diverse culture. Some people fondly recall memories of family holiday celebrations with the big man while others are focused on the religious meaning of the holiday season.  For […]


Implementing an Unlimited Employee PTO Policy

The Latest in Paid Time Off Trends Unlimited PTO is just as it sounds, unlimited. Of course, nothing panics supervisors or management more than the thought of employees spontaneously choosing NOT to work! Unlimited PTO should be thought of as scheduled vacation time. Time off for vacations is planned and scheduled with a supervisor’s buy-in. If the employee has to complete a project by a deadline, then their vacation is planned around that need with […]


Meal Times and Rest Breaks – Do you know the law?

One of the most common complaints that lead to lawsuits against employers is the lack of adequate meal and rest breaks for employees. Wage and hour laws regulate basic working conditions such as meals and rest breaks. It is the responsibility of the employer to ensure supervisors are knowledgeable of these workplace wage and hour rules. Well-intentioned employers who are NOT enforcing these rules are far more likely to have an employee file an employment-related […]


NEW Oregon Mandated Retirement Plan

Oregon Mandates a Retirement Plan FOR ALL EMPLOYERS In 2015, Oregon’s state legislature wanted to address Oregonians’ lack of retirement saving. Due to an alarming amount of individuals with no retirement savings, Oregon forged ahead as the first state to create a mandated retirement plan. The plan was crafted with the overall goal of giving Oregonians an easier way to save for retirement.   The legislature passed the Oregon Retirement Security Bill, HB 2960 which […]


ALERT: Federal Government Form I-9

U.S. Citizenship and immigration Services (USCIS) issued a newer version of the Form I-9 on July 17, 2017. This form use is mandatory beginning September 18, 2017. The newest version contains very subtle changes to the instructions section and to the list of acceptable documents. These minor changes are a great reminder to employers that Section 1 must be completed “at the time of hire.” Now is a great time to review your company hiring […]


NEW Oregon Equal Pay Act

What Every Oregon Employer Needs to Know Governor Kate Brown signed Oregon House Bill 2005 on June 1, 2017. Most of the provisions of the new Oregon Equal Pay Act of 2017 (EPA) go into effect on January 1, 2019. Oregon’s EPA establishes significant penalties for pay discrepancies between those in protected classes and those who are not. Oregon’s EPA makes it an unlawful employment practice for employers to: Screen job seekers based on current […]


LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: Predictive Scheduling

Oregon may be the first to implement state-wide predictive scheduling rules. The predictive scheduling bills are designed to give employees advanced notice of their work schedules. This bill is designed to cut-down on last minute shift changes that can be common in industries such as retail, hospitality and food service. Employers changing schedules past their due date may be required to pay employees for the change – and allow employees to refuse some schedules. This […]


Oregon Legislative Update – March 2017

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, […]