GreatWork Blog

Building better workplaces through compliance, culture, connection

It’s the holiday party season and of course you want people to have fun and enjoy themselves. But you also want to make sure the fun is appropriate and safe.

With the impending Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) changes effective December 1, I regularly get the question “what are other employers doing?” Survey results from a recent study on the Implementation of New FLSA Rules conducted by WorldatWork of 948 U.S. employers nationwide are consistent with the conversations that I have been having locally.

With the 2016 presidential race heating up, employees may be more likely to engage in political conversations at work. Politics is a topic that people have very strong and divided feelings about and have great potential to offend and divide the workplace. While such talk is not illegal per se, many political topics involve protected class issues such as race, age, gender, and religion which do create legal implications.

When I’m presented with an employment situation which could result in some sort of change in an employee’s status with the company, such as a disciplinary action or a performance plan, there are four questions that I always ask in order to assess the risk.

This Sunday is Daylight Savings Time. This change can impact wages for non-exempt employees, particularly those on the graveyard shift.

Starting January 1, 2016 Oregon’s mandatory sick leave law will take effect requiring employers to provide protected (and paid for employers with 10 or more employees) sick time away from work. By protected, we mean you cannot discriminate, retaliate or in any way use the absence against the employee.

With the 2016 presidential race beginning to heat up, employees may be more likely to engage in political conversations at work. Politics is a topic that people have very strong and divided feelings about and have great potential to offend and divide the workplace. While such talk is not illegal per se, many political topics involve protected class issues such as race, age, gender, and religion which do create legal implications. A good rule of thumb: keep it out of the workplace.

We can’t believe it’s already Spring either, but it’s here and so now is the perfect time to go through the Spring Cleaning checklist for your business.

This Sunday is Daylight Savings Time. While it might not seem obvious, this change can impact wages for non-exempt employees, particularly those on the graveyard shift.

This month, a Portland Commissioner released a proposal to require employers in the City of Portland, or who have employees who perform at least 240 hours of work in the City of Portland to provide sick leave. Under the new ordinance, sick leave is generally available for absences resulting from certain illness, injury, health conditions, diagnosis, and preventative care of the employee or their family member. 

In just over a two week stretch this summer, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) settled eight harassment claims and had another court ruling in its favor.  Although harassment awareness training is not legally required in Oregon, for all intents and purposes it should be considered as such.  

On May 14, 2012 the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the National Labor Relation’s Board’s new “quickie” election rules that took effect on April 30 are not enforceable. While this is good news for employers, it may only temporary. 

Not sure if you need to update your employee handbook? Answer the following questions and find out. 

Are you on the fence about attending our Annual Compliance & Payroll Update? Here are the top 10 reasons employers find it beneficial to their business.

This year, November 6 will mark the return to standard time, when clocks will be moved back one hour at 2:00 a.m.

Last week, the Seattle City Council voted to require employers to provide paid “sick and safe” time to employees working in Seattle beginning in September 2012.  The new ordinance applies to all employers in the city of Seattle with five or more employees.  It also applies to employees who perform more than 240 hours of work per year in Seattle, even if their employer is not located in Seattle.

On November 14, 2011 a new rule will take effect requiring most private-sector employers to post a notice to employees regarding their rights under the National Labor Relations Act. 

Effective August 2, 2011 employers with six or more employees are required to provide leave and safety accommodations to employees who are victims of harassment. 

The United States Supreme Court decided in favor of Wal-Mart by blocking what would have been one of the largest sex discrimination lawsuits from proceeding as a class action. 

In today’s environment, more and more employers are unwilling to share salary information about their former employees due to legal concerns; verification of compensation when commissions are involved can be especially challenging; and background checks continue to reveal a problem with inflated salaries reported on job applications. While asking for a candidate’s W-2 form may seem like the answer, it is important to consider the issues.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) new regulations for Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) have finally been published. 

It’s Spring! That means it’s time for Spring cleaning. Here is a quick checklist of things to get out of the way and get ready for summer.

After a long wait, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) new regulations for Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) are expected to be published in April, 2011. 

Earlier this week, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) settled a case involving an employee who was terminated after posting derogatory comments about the company on Facebook.  It’s probably not nice to admit this, but I’m a little disappointed this case settled (although I figured it would) ...

Can an employer reassign an employee because her pregnancy might offend someone?

Lately we’ve seen an uptick of inquiries with respect to 401(k) plans, specifically around benefit eligibility requirements when writing policies for employee handbooks.