Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza cases are surging across the United States while COVID-19 continues to spread. Faced with hospital beds filling up and experts warning that this could be one of the most severe...more
On September 28, 2022, amendments to Oregon’s Equal Pay Act excluding hiring and retention bonuses from the definition of “compensation” are set to expire.
Oregon’s Equal Pay Act prohibits employers from...more
Remote work has exploded since the COVID-19 pandemic began, with some employers hiring employees to work remotely anywhere in the United States. With the recent economic downturn, layoffs are beginning to occur, and for the...more
Oregon employers may want to be aware that on March 7, 2022, Governor Kate Brown signed into law amendments to the state’s Equal Pay Act detailed in Senate Bill (SB) 1514. As a result, Oregon employers may offer vaccine...more
The Oregon Legislative Assembly recently passed Senate Bill (SB) 1514, extending the expiration date of temporary amendments to Oregon’s Equal Pay Act. The act prohibits employers from “discriminat[ing] between employees on...more
From 2020 through 2021, wildfires burned more than 1.5 million acres of land in Oregon. To put things in perspective, the area that burned was approximately seven times the size of New York City....more
On January 31, 2022, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) published permanent rules relating to COVID-19 vaccination and masking requirements in healthcare settings, just a few days after issuing similar rules for K-12 schools....more
On January 13, 2022, the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division (Oregon OSHA) announced that because the Supreme Court of the United States has stayed the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA)...more
Oregon operates a state plan that the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has approved that applies to both public and private employers. Accordingly, Oregon employers are subject to the state OSHA’s...more
Changes to Oregon employment laws taking effect next year will be keeping human resources professionals very busy this holiday season and into the new year in the Pacific Northwest.
Extended State of Public Health...more
12/28/2021
/ BOLI ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employment Eligibility Verification ,
Governor Brown ,
Hairstyle Discrimination ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Legislation ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Safety Violations ,
State Labor Laws ,
Workplace Safety
On November 4, 2021, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a new emergency temporary standard (ETS) that requires employers with 100 or more employees to ensure that their employees are either...more
Under Oregon Governor Kate Brown’s Executive Order 21-15, the state of public health emergency due to COVID-19 will continue in Oregon until December 31, 2021, unless the governor extends the deadline or terminates the state...more
9/30/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee's Childcare ,
Governor Brown ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Public Schools ,
Quarantine ,
School Closures ,
Sick Leave ,
State Labor Laws
Effective June 30, 2021, Oregon Governor Kate Brown, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), and the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division (Oregon OSHA) lifted most statewide mask and physical distancing restrictions...more
On June 15, 2021, Governor Kate Brown signed into law Senate Bill (SB) 483, which amends the Oregon Safe Employment Act to increase whistleblower protections for workplace safety complaints. The amendments to the act took...more
On June 11, 2021, Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed into law House Bill 2935, also known as the CROWN Act (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair), joining several other states in explicitly prohibiting...more
On May 18, 2021, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) issued a new guidance titled, “Interim Guidance for Fully Vaccinated Individuals,” adjusting the applicability and enforcement of current state guidance for fully vaccinated...more
The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted a number of previously in-person positions to remote work and telecommuting. In the meantime, many employees have moved out of state from their usual office locations for personal or...more
On November 6, 2020, the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Oregon OSHA), the state plan responsible for overseeing workplace safety and health in the state of Oregon, released its final COVID-19 temporary...more
Oregon voters approved two groundbreaking measures in the 2020 election season to become the first state in the nation to decriminalize personal possession of small amounts of certain controlled substances (Measure 110) and...more
On September 9, 2020, Oregon Governor Kate Brown issued Executive Order No. 20-41 invoking the Emergency Conflagration Act Statewide in light of extreme fire danger. Governor Brown’s invocation of the Emergency Conflagration...more
Oregon employers feeling the financial strain of economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are bracing themselves for another impact. On July 1, 2020, Oregon’s minimum wage increase will take effect....more
Misclassifying an employee as an independent contractor can put a business at risk of tax assessments, penalties, and wage and hour claims. Understanding the difference between an employee and independent contractor is vital...more
On June 11, 2019, Governor Kate Brown signed into law the Oregon Workplace Fairness Act (SB 726), which will significantly impact all Oregon employers. The Act addresses concerns of the #MeToo movement by imposing strict...more
7/9/2019
/ #MeToo ,
Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Anti-Harassment Policies ,
BOLI ,
Corporate Culture ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Policies ,
Golden Parachutes ,
New Legislation ,
Settlement Agreements ,
Severance Agreements ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State Labor Laws ,
Statute of Limitations
On May 14, 2019, Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed House Bill (HB) 2992, which imposes a new burden on employers that want to have enforceable noncompetition agreements with their Oregon employees. For any noncompetition...more