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 […]
Dear HR: Our office is moving to a paperless record-keeping system. We could use a couple of people just for a day or two to move our paper file boxes from our storage unit over to our office. My office manager volunteered her husband and teenage son for the job. Since the job is only a day or two, can I just pay them each $50 cash? HR Answer: An employee is an employee […]
Dear HR: Do snows days qualify as sick days? HR Answer: Snow days are not a legally accepted reason in which sick time may be used under the Oregon Sick Leave Law. If a business is closed due to weather, or if an employee is unable to get to work due to inclement weather–these absences are typically unpaid. Employees are only required to be paid for hours actually worked–even on days when they come in […]
Common issues effecting employers Suspected Sick Leave Abuse It has been a year since mandatory sick leave began in Oregon. Now that the policy has been implemented and employees are starting to accumulate and use their time – knowing what your options as an employer can help reduce the misuse of sick leave and save you money.
Dear HR: We are recruiting a new chef for our restaurant. We have a reputation for having the best food in town so we need to be sure our potential new hire will be able to keep up with our fast-paced kitchen, and that their skills measure up. Can we have the top four applicants come in for an evening shift for a “working interview?” HR Answer: Under wage and hour laws any work […]
