Two administrative agencies within the federal government have been busy lately publishing new rules that govern important aspects of employers’ relationships with their employees. Read more below for further updates....more
It’s that time of year to prepare for minimum wage increases and update workplace posters. Beginning July 1, minimum wage rates throughout Oregon increase, to $13.25 for Portland Metro, $11.50 for Nonurban Counties, and...more
5/11/2021
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Regulations ,
Minimum Wage ,
Oregon ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Wage and Hour
Late last week, the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) announced that it plans to rescind the Trump DOL rule that tightened the standards by which two or more companies could be deemed a joint employer for purposes of the Fair...more
Another day, another Trump-era Department of Labor (“DOL”) rule that’s been put on the shelf for 60 days. Last week, we blogged about the Biden DOL’s decision to delay the rollout of the tip rules that the Trump DOL adopted...more
The U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) published a final rule addressing independent contractor status under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). Independent contractor status is a critical question under the FLSA because...more
The U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) released new guidance on the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act (“FFCRA”), which was signed into law on March 18, 2020. The DOL’s new resources are...more
We are continuing to monitor developing issues facing employers due to the outbreak of COVID-19. The latest is from Congress.
On March 13, the US House of Representatives passed the Families First Coronavirus Response...more
With COVID-19 (coronavirus) impacting communities in the Northwest and around the U.S. and world, employers are wondering what role they can play in keeping their employees safe and healthy. Don’t panic! Your current policies...more
3/6/2020
/ Best Practices ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Public Health ,
Remote Working ,
Traveling Employee ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety ,
World Health Organization
As 2019 comes to an end, employers should know about important new obligations that will ring in their new year. Our Labor & Employment experts offer some guidance on critical developments in Oregon, Washington, California,...more
12/20/2019
/ Arbitration Agreements ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Definition ,
FEHA ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Regulations ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Posting Requirements ,
Severance Agreements ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Statute of Limitations ,
Unpaid Wages ,
Wage and Hour ,
Work Schedules
The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that an estimated 1.3 million workers will soon be eligible to receive overtime or be in line for a raise. Effective January 1, 2020, the minimum salary threshold for the...more
9/25/2019
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Final Rules ,
Minimum Salary ,
Misclassification ,
Non-Exempt Employees ,
Over-Time ,
Standard Duties Test ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions
The Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 2005 (the “Bill”) on June 30, 2019, creating a new program of up to 12 weeks of paid medical and family leave benefits (the “Program”) for eligible employees and self-employed...more
7/24/2019
/ Employee Benefits ,
Employer Contributions ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Governor Brown ,
Medical Leave ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Paid Leave ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
Employers can breathe a sigh of relief. The Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) announced this week that it was removing a requirement that EEO-1 reports contain employee pay data. The now-defunct Obama-era requirement...more
Employers know that the salary rule for “white collar” exemptions from President Obama’s Department of Labor (“DOL”) was blocked by a federal court last year (we blogged about that here). That rule would have more than...more
“Equal pay for equal work.” Everyone – employees and employers alike – can agree that no workers should be paid less than others simply because of their gender, race, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. ...more
We are confident that employers already take employee reports of potentially unlawful activity seriously. Such internal reports can help employers investigate and eliminate unlawful conduct in the workplace. The Ninth...more
The Department of Labor’s controversial rule that required “white collar” employees to be paid at least $47,476 per year in order to be exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act will NOT go into effect on December 1, 2016 as...more
In the wake of the election results, the question on everyone’s mind now is: What impact will President-Elect Trump have on employers? Trump has thus far given few details on his thoughts on labor and employment. But with...more
11/21/2016
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Barack Obama ,
Cadillac Tax ,
Class Action Arbitration Waivers ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
EEO ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Executive Orders ,
Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces ,
Federal Contractors ,
Individual Mandate ,
Joint Employers ,
Labor Regulations ,
Minimum Wage ,
NLRB ,
OSHA ,
Pay Transparency ,
Preexisting Conditions ,
Presidential Elections ,
Protected Concerted Activity ,
Quickie Election Rules ,
Repeal ,
Shared Responsibility Rule ,
Sick Leave ,
Summary of Benefits and Coverage ,
Trump Administration ,
Wage and Hour ,
Waiting Periods ,
White-Collar Exemptions ,
Workplace Communication
Do you hear that sound? It’s millions of workers rejoicing and employers groaning because the federal government has effectively required that employers give about four million workers a raise starting on December 1, 2016 to...more