GreatWork Blog

Building better workplaces through compliance, culture, connection

The ever-dreaded “brain drain” may be upon you. A long-time employee who has contributed so much to the success of your organization is about to retire and take with them a wealth of knowledge and expertise.

A prominent fear many organizations are facing is the lack of suitable talent out there. Recruitment of top talent is definitely at a peak, often times having to utilize recruiters or outsourcing to find that talent where current internal methods of finding the right people just isn’t cutting it.

Early this month, the Trump Administration announced it was going to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program established by the Obama Administration in 2012. DACA authorizes young adults who were brought to the US as children illegally by their parents to live and work legally in the United States. The Administration set a rescission date of March 5, 2018 in order to allow Congress time to address this issue through legislation such as the DREAM Act of 2017.

As one of the most popular mushrooms worldwide, shiitakes are prized for their rich, savory taste and diverse health benefits. This family-owned employer has been growing these specialty mushrooms for over 26 years. 

You have heard about it. Stressed about it. Maybe even cried about it. Let’s put it all in perspective and for the sake of time and, let’s be honest, sanity, I present the Cliffs Notes version.

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon blocks any part of the sun. On Monday, August 21, 2017, a solar eclipse will be visible (weather permitting) across all of North America. The whole continent will experience a partial eclipse lasting 2 to 3 hours. Halfway through the event, anyone within a roughly 70-mile-wide path from Oregon to South Carolina will experience a brief total eclipse, when the moon completely blocks the sun’s bright face for up to 2 minutes 40 seconds, turning day into night.

If you’re an equestrian enthusiast, chances are you’ve crossed this popular manufacturer’s path a time or two. 

Getting or keeping up with your HR certifications can be a challenge, but did you know that Cascade has partnered with the HR Certification Institute™ (HRCI) to offer our Members some pretty cool benefits.

As an employer you have an obligation to maintain a safe workplace. When employees report to work under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, it puts everyone at risk.

The Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) has released its 2017-2018 Minimum Wage Poster that all employers must have updated as of July 1, 2017.

For today’s organizations, the problem of how to effectively recruit, motivate, and retain employees is becoming an increasingly important issue.

Though most of us associate succession planning with only the highest levels of leadership, identifying and developing new leaders is paramount at all levels of the organization.

OregonSaves, a new state-sponsored retirement plan, according to the State Treasurer’s office, it could assist up to 1 million Oregon employees in their efforts to save for their future.

Now that the sun’s finally shining and our cravings for frozen desserts have escalated, let me introduce you to this member who has taken dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free and certified organic delectables to the level of pure bliss. 

Hybrid jobs, or “blended jobs,” are typically unique to a particular organization, specialized industry or smaller organization and include a variety of functions and responsibilities.

I hear it all the time . . . “one of our biggest challenges is communication”! I recently read a great article in Workspan, a publication by WorldatWork which discussed how different generations prefer to hear about company offered benefits.

If you live in Oregon, you know it’s great. I’ll admit it, I often tell people it’s so rainy and mossy and gray that they probably wouldn’t want to live here. “But I hear there is amazing food,” they say. “Oh, yeah, it’s fine,” I lie. It’s fantastic. “And the ocean and mountains; it’s all right there,” they say daydreaming. “Well it takes forever to get to the beach because everyone goes there,” I lament.

Until the 1960s, the idea of having an instant, new green lawn was still foreign in the Western states. 

Human Resources exists to maximize the productivity of an organization by optimizing the effectiveness of its employees. Employee effectiveness is optimized when employees are engaged.

Non-profits face many unique challenges when establishing executive compensation which oftentimes deals with issues like regulatory compliance, board governance, limited budgets and equitable pay across the organization.

From its inception in 1976, this Salem, Oregon nonprofit has been committed to addressing the needs of classroom teachers and their students.

One critical factor of compensation administration that is often overlooked by employers is compliance with various employment laws. Employment laws often tie to compensation and create boundaries for acceptable employment practices and employee rights.

Years ago I conducted an experiment as a project for my psychology class where I literally gave every participant the exact same results to an assessment and then asked how accurate the reading had been.

If you are an employer that sponsors a 401(k) or 403(b) plan, chances are good that you’ve had a discussion with your service provider about the default investment choice for your plan.

As times change, so does this member company. Hi-Tek Electronics’ team is filled with hard-working, passionate individuals committed to producing some of the highest quality circuit boards in the industry. 

Compensation is a vital instrument used by company management to advance business needs, goals and missions, and the workforce of an organization.

Your thought: “Oh no, that will never work! And I’m not the only one who knows that. And my boss expects us to put this into action now. I bet I get the blame if it fails.”

Because nonprofits oftentimes are constrained by limited financial resources, employee salaries are typically lower than average compared to what you might find in the general industry. That being said, nonprofits are still a business and need to attract and retain top talent.

This Cascade member’s story starts with about 30 local farm families, who grow the fruit for their all-natural handmade pies, cobblers and frozen fruit packs.