HR News

Ask HR: Workplace conflict – Is it harassment?

This entry was posted in Ask HR and tagged Employee Handbook on

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 […]

Ask HR: How can I screen for a lifting requirement?

This entry was posted in Ask HR and tagged Employee Screening on

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 […]

Ask HR: Employee requesting Paternity leave.

This entry was posted in Ask HR and tagged Medical Leave (OFLA/FMLA) Sick Leave Time & Attendance on

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 […]

Ask HR: Hiring Temp help – Can I pay cash?

This entry was posted in Ask HR and tagged Payroll Wage & Hour on

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 […]

Ask HR: Is a Snow Day a Sick Day?

This entry was posted in Ask HR and tagged Sick Leave Time & Attendance Wage & Hour on

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 […]

Are My Employees Abusing Sick Leave?

This entry was posted in HR News and tagged Employee Retention Sick Leave on

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.  

Ask HR: Can we do “working interviews?”

This entry was posted in Ask HR and tagged Employee Screening Wage & Hour on

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 […]

Ask HR: Do I need to remove Holiday Decor?

This entry was posted in Ask HR and tagged Holidays on

Dear HR:  In our small office we enjoy decorating each year for Christmas. This year one of our new employees has stated that they do not want to have decorations in their work area for religious reasons. We moved all holiday décor to the other side of the office, but we’re wondering if we should remove all the decorations to keep our new employee happy? Our clients enjoy the holiday decorations and look forward to […]

Ask HR: Volunteers – Working time & taking calls

This entry was posted in Ask HR and tagged Employee Handbook Wage & Hour on

Dear HR: I have several staff members that are also volunteer firefighters. If all of them happened to be called to a fire at the same time, I would be so short-staffed I’d be forced to close my store until they return. Am I able to require them to take turns when they get calls?   HR Answer: Employers are generally not required to grant leave for volunteer firefighters of a rural fire protection district. […]

The Affordable Care Act and the Future of Health Insurance

This entry was posted in HR News and tagged Affordable Care Act (ACA) Health Insurance on

Cardinal’s Bird’s Eye View In November we looked at What Employers Need to Know – Choosing a Health Plan, the price of health insurance, compared small and individual market plans and costs—and made some predictions. It was not a stretch to predict that health insurance carriers who were not making a profit would continue to raise rates. Predicting what the Trump Administration and Congress will do now is more problematic.