GreatWork Blog

Building better workplaces through compliance, culture, connection

Are you setting goals this year? Not the New Year’s resolution kind. The kind that are tied to the ongoing strategy of your company or organization. The goals that make a difference in the way your team members connect to and engage with that strategy. The week-to-week conversations about stretching to achieve. The kind of goals that empower the individual. These conversations, done well, are one of the crucial elements in making performance conversations energizing and enjoyable. What could go wrong?

Cascade is partnering with the Employer Associations of American (EAA) to conduct the 2022-2023 National Business Trends Survey. This survey compiles data on national, regional, and local business trends, covering issues such as staffing levels, hiring practices, cost-cutting measures, and business outlooks. This year includes topical questions on recent business concerns, such as inflation and recession planning, remote work practices, and recruitment/retention challenges. 

Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 to October 15 each year as a way to recognize, honor and celebrate Hispanic cultures, histories and contributions. Here are six suggestions for virtual celebrations and recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month.

Emotional Capital is the glue that holds together the relationship between an identified goal, and commitment to fulfilment of that goal. It is an often overlooked, intangible asset with deep reservoirs. The return on its proper investment can yield tremendous results in employee productivity and engagement. So how does the savvy leader, manager, supervisor, or coach get an employee to make this type of emotional investment in the workplace? How do we inspire employees to take personal ownership of the tasks and responsibilities associated with their roles/positions?

“Do you know what other employers are doing to help out employees with inflation?” This is a question our consulting team gets asked quite often and rather than speculating, we asked YOU. Cascade recently conducted its Quarterly HR Trends Survey in which we asked participants what they’re doing about inflation for their employees. The results? Here are a few highlights.

To be a contender in today’s labor market, employers should think outside the box about how to approach and implement a total rewards system to enhance employee engagement, retention, and satisfaction. Additionally, ensuring fair and competitive wages are equally important and Cascade’s compensation team is ready to partner with you on those needs!

There is an old (traditional?) management technique, fondly referred to as the feedback sandwich, that has outlived its usefulness. It may have been a flawed approach to begin with. In our two-day Basics of Supervision class this dynamic never fails to get some attention and spirited debate. How do I give my employees feedback without making them defensive?

Ever find yourself wondering how you’re supposed to keep up with all the changes to laws, rules and regulations? It’s TOO much! You’re not wrong. In fact, in a recent study we did with new members of Cascade, keeping up with legal changes was ranked as the No. 1 challenge they have. We're sharing six resources to help you keep up. 

On July 12, 2022, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) updated its guidance regarding COVID-19 testing in the workplace. Below is a summary of those changes.

Does your workplace have a catch-all word for a problem that turns out to have several layers? It only takes two to miscommunicate. Add departments, shifts, language and culture. Multiply by 10 or 20. Ah, “communication issues.”  It may be that these are universal and your own challenges may just be a question of degree.  Here are a few suggestions on how to identify, separate, and effectively address some of these important communication issues.

As a member of the team, supervisors must understand that without trust, teamwork is all but impossible. Conversations with team members may become suspect. This may result in individual team members avoiding necessary conversations for fear of being misinterpreted or misunderstood. Without conversations, we cannot build trust. Where there is no trust, there is no relationship, and where there is no relationship, it is hard to gain influence. Without influence, it is hard to lead because leadership is influence.

The 2022 Northwest Employee Benefits Survey is here, and it is time to participate. This survey is an in-depth review of organizations’ benefits and policies. With the “Great Resignation,” access to current and reliable benefit data is more important than ever to make sure your benefit packages and organization policies are competitive in a market where employees are expecting more.

Last August, Oregon OSHA adopted two temporary rules regarding wildfire smoke and excessive heat. On May 9, 2022, OR OSHA announced that the heat and wildfire smoke rules will become permanent. The heat rules took effect June 15th; the wildfire rules took effect July 1st.

On July 1, 2022 Oregon’s Minimum Wage rates will increase. Along with this increase, it’s also time to make sure your required employment posters reflect this change. If you have already purchased an employment law poster from Cascade, you should have already received stickers with the new minimum wage rates to replace the current rates.

Cascade’s most recent HR Trends Survey asked for feedback on remote and hybrid work plans and how organizations are addressing these plans with return to work. We're sharing highlights from the results. You can check out the PDF report here and visit our website for other reports.

I really wish we could give you a solution to the employment and retention challenge so many of our workplaces are facing. Typical punditry would mean that the next few paragraphs offer some focused wisdom that solves all our current attract-and-retain problems. Prepare to be disappointed. On the other hand, we might be onto something. I am sharing here some well-tested ideas that require some serious self-reflection and a bit of leadership development. Many employers are shifting the “entry way” conversation and might be offering something that helps us all in the long run.

Members are the reason that Cascade Employers Association has existed for 75 years. As a “thank you” for your ongoing support, we are dedicating June to YOU! We have set aside the entire month of June to show our appreciation to Cascade members with free webinars, prizes and more! Here’s a sneak peek of what’s in store for you!

The “official” state of emergency in Oregon has ended and employees are returning to the office. However, the pandemic is not over. With that in mind, some employees may not be prepared to return to the office; perhaps they are at high-risk for COVID-19, or maybe they are afraid to return to the office due to concerns of contracting COVID. Because of this, employers may see an increase in COVID-19-related reasonable accommodation requests, specifically requesting remote/telework.

As businesses continue to transition to the new workplace, organizations have to balance their need for employees in the workplace with employees’ preferences for remote and hybrid work. This month’s survey gathers basic information on remote and hybrid work plans that organizations are currently implementing.

Do you find yourself wondering how your employees are really doing in this new workplace? Do they feel connected? Are they too stressed? Do they have what they need to do their jobs well? Sometimes it’s easier for leadership to identify when employees are feeling disconnected or overwhelmed when everyone is in the same physical workplace. But the new workplace presents some challenges in this regard. 

Equal Pay Day is the date in the year that symbolizes how far into the year women must work to earn what men earned in the previous year. Equal Pay Day was originated by the National Committee on Pay Equity in 1996 as a public awareness event to illustrate the gap between men's and women's wages. 

Does your work culture allow for this kind of statement (or something like it?) in your team conversations? Is the acknowledgment of a misstep swept beneath the rug or brought out into the light for proper inspection?

This year, the Oregon State Legislature had a short legislative session. Here is the status of the following employment bills at the conclusion of the session.

Since its inception in 1965, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has worked to ensure that employees are treated fairly in the workplace. As leaders in HR, you have a lot of plates spinning, and taking the time to read the monthly EEOC newsletter might not make it to the top of your priorities list. Now you can keep up with the EEOC YouTube channel.

Did you know that each month Cascade is conducting an HR Trends survey based on current workplace issues or trends that are important to our members? 

We know from emerging science and neural research that unconscious patterns develop in our brains that organize information and perceptions. These patterns affect our attitudes and actions even though we aren’t aware of them. And while these patterns are implicit, they create real-world implications.

It seems like every other conversation I have is around something to do with stress: workplace stress, personal stress, financial stress, legal stress, the effect of stress on productivity, the effect of stress on personal health, the effect of stress on, well, you name it.  For employers, the effects of stress on their workforce can lead to increased absenteeism and medical costs, and more. 

Perhaps it has crossed your mind once or twice to just throw a sucker punch at that difficult person in your life—you’re not alone. After all, it is their fault, isn’t it? They are the difficult one and getting them out of the equation should solve the problem. Not so fast.

For decades, workplaces have been using the Gallup Q-12 to inform their assessment of workplace engagement. What is the Q-12? Well, it’s 12 important statements covering everything from clear workplace expectations to materials and equipment to being recognized. These 12 actionable workplace elements offer proven links to performance outcomes. Simply put, the 12 statements answered affirmatively correlate highly with strong employee engagement; answered negatively correlate highly with poor employee engagement.

As we alerted earlier this month, no later than March 31, Oregon will lift its mask mandate for indoor public places. You may recall June of 2021 when it was announced that all COVID-19 restrictions would be lifted, only to have them re-imposed again at the end of July. All of this may have you wondering what will happen this time. You’ve been through this before, right?! Here are few things to keep in mind once restrictions are lifted.