Skip to content

Compensation Trends: Balancing Pay, Transparency, and Talent Retention

money balancing on seesaw

Compensation Trends: Balancing Pay, Transparency, and Talent Retention Posted by Lindsay Hill, Director of Compensation Services on Monday, December 1, 2025 Tags: Compensation As organizations plan for 2026, understanding how compensation is evolving has never been more important. This year, compensation is all about balance, managing costs while keeping key talent engaged. Economic pressures continue to shape…

Read More

Beyond the Drama: How to Build a Positive Work Culture That Thrives

team arguing

Beyond the Drama: How to Build a Positive Work Culture That Thrives Posted by Plummer Bailor, MA, Leadership Development Consultant on Monday, November 24, 2025 Tags: Leadership Workplace drama happens everywhere: in meetings, in email threads, and even in casual hallway conversations. It often starts small: a misunderstanding, a missed deadline, or a difference in communication style.…

Read More

New Proposed Rules for Paid Leave Oregon

gavel next to open book

New Proposed Rules for Paid Leave Oregon Posted by Cascade Compliance Team, Thursday, November 20, 2025 Tags: Alert, Leave Laws Paid Leave Oregon has proposed new administrative rules that will clarify the amount of leave available for pre-placement leave, repeal the job protection section of the administrative rules, and change employee notification requirements for intermittent leave. The…

Read More

Rethinking Performance Reviews: Turning a Check-the-Box Task into a Meaningful Conversation

man and woman high fiving

Rethinking Performance Reviews: Turning a Check-the-Box Task into a Meaningful Conversation Posted by Margaret Oglesby, Compensation Consultant on Monday, November 10, 2025 Tags: Performance Management Despite the time and effort organizations dedicate to performance reviews, few believe they truly work. Leaders and employees alike are skeptical of their impact. In fact, according to a Gallup study, just…

Read More

Building Performance Through Feedback

two women having serious conversation

Building Performance Through Feedback Posted by Trudy Hylemon, ODCP, PHR, Senior HR and Leadership Consultant on Monday, November 3, 2025 Tags: Performance Management If you’re a supervisor, you’ve probably had that moment when you notice something in an employee’s work that needs improvement, but you hesitate to give feedback. What if they take it the wrong way? What…

Read More

Why Developing a Job Leveling System is Worthwhile

recruiting technology

Why Developing a Job Leveling System is Worthwhile Posted by Olivia Steelman, Compensation Consultant on Monday, October 27, 2025 Tags: Leadership Division of Labor and Growing Pains Organizations aren’t born into existence as large and complex constellations of purpose, people, processes, and projects. They often start small, with the seed of an idea which is then tended…

Read More

Cut Costs, Not Coverage: Association Health Plans for Oregon Small Employers

healthcare blocks

Cut Costs, Not Coverage: Association Health Plans for Oregon Small Employers Posted by Gayle Gilham, President on Monday, October 20, 2025 Tags: Employee Benefits Small Businesses Deserve Better Options for Employee Benefits If you’re a small business owner, you know that shopping for employee health insurance can feel like an uphill climb. Premiums go up year after…

Read More

Why Fall 2025 Feels Different for Employers — And What You Can Do About It

oregon fall leaves

Why Fall 2025 Feels Different for Employers — And What You Can Do About It Posted by Jenna Reed, Senior Vice President and General Counsel on Monday, October 13, 2025 Tags: Leadership It’s not just the leaves changing this fall; business and workplace environments are also experiencing change at a faster pace than normal. We know you’re…

Read More

Something Better is On the Horizon

oregon horizon

Something Better is On the Horizon Posted by Cascade Staff on October 7, 2025 Tags: Alert We’ve got some exciting news to share! After much thought, we’ve decided to sunset the current version of HR Reinforce. In addition to the robust resources available to you in Cascade’s HR Library, HR Reinforce is a portal to help you…

Read More

Criminal Background Check Rules in Oregon

magnifying glass on papers

Criminal Background Check Rules in Oregon Posted by Mackenzie Cowan, HR Consultant on Monday, October 6, 2025 Tags: Compliance Employers in Oregon often wonder whether there are special rules around asking about criminal history or conducting background checks. While criminal background checks are not required in most industries, many employers use them as part of their hiring…

Read More

Employment Effects of the Federal Government Shutdown

gavel next to open book

Employment Effects of the Federal Government Shutdown Posted by Cascade Compliance Team Wednesday, October 1, 2025 Tags: Alert Today, October 1, 2025, the federal government officially shut down after Congress failed to pass funding legislation, pausing a range of non-essential government services. This shutdown has significant implications on federal contractors, as well as trickle-down effects…

Read More