Wage & Hour

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: Predictive Scheduling

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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 […]

Ask HR: Can I push back employee payday for late timecard?

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Dear HR:   I have an employee that is consistently turning in his time card late. Maybe if he gets paid late, he will remember to turn it in on time to begin with. Since he keeps turning it in late, can I just keep it and turn it with the next pay-period?   HR Answer: Unfortunately it is considered an unlawful employment practice to withhold payment of wages until next pay period, even when […]

Ask HR: Is jury duty pay required?

This entry was posted in Ask HR and tagged Paid Time Off (PTO) Wage & Hour on

Dear HR: Do I have to pay my employee when they are off work serving jury duty? HR Answer: The answer is generally no, but also depends upon your policy. Current laws allow an employee time away from work to serve jury duty without retaliation from the employer, but the laws do not require the time be paid. Many employers choose to compensate employees as a thank you for their service to the community. Since […]

Ask HR: Staff volunteering at religious-based event. Is that ok?

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Dear HR, We own a retail shop, and once a month my family participates in a volunteer day for needy families in the community. We want to ensure it will not be an issue if our employees also participate by volunteering with us. It is not mandatory that the employees participate and it’s during a time when our shop is closed. It is a Christian-based event, but we don’t talk about religion, we just help […]

ALERT! BOLI Changes in Overtime Payment Laws

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BOLI Changes Manufacturing Overtime Laws Retro-Effective on January 1, 2017   Overtime now must be calculated daily AND weekly starting January 1st. Mills, factories and manufacturing businesses are liable for a daily overtime requirement: in addition to the normal over 40 hours per week pay requirements that apply to other business types, manufacturing businesses are required to pay 1.5 times’ the employee’s regular rate of pay for hours that exceed 10 hours in a single […]

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 […]

Ask HR: Can we do “working interviews?”

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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: Volunteers – Working time & taking calls

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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. […]

Ask HR: Can I shift workweeks to reduce overtime?

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Dear HR:  We are busy, and are exploring the addition of one or possibly two shifts. We currently have a Sunday through Saturday work week, and have employees going into overtime sometimes as early as Thursday. We are wondering about having multiple work weeks with the intent of reducing overtime.   HR Answer:  There does not appear to be any wiggle room under State and Federal wage laws as far as tweaking work weeks or […]