GreatWork Blog

Building better workplaces through compliance, culture, connection

For HR professionals, compensation readiness is less about reacting to new laws and more about building habits that keep pay practices compliant, consistent, and defensible year after year. A strong readiness mindset starts with understanding the broader federal framework while staying grounded in state-specific requirements that continue to evolve.

Strong teams are built on trust. Trust fuels real collaboration. When people trust each other, conversations are direct, problems surface early, and decisions move faster. At the center of that trust is psychological safety, the shared belief that you can speak up, ask questions, admit mistakes, or offer a different perspective without fear of embarrassment or punishment.

As disability accommodation requests continue to increase with the return to in-person work, Oregon and Washington employers are often left unsure what their obligation is regarding service animal requests under the ADA, and whether that obligation extends to emotional support animals.

Most people are familiar with service animals in grocery stores and other public settings, as you’ve likely seen the “service animals only” signs posted at entrances. However, the workplace rules are different. In employment settings, the key question is not public access. It is whether allowing the animal is a reasonable accommodation that enables the employee to perform the essential functions of the job without creating an undue hardship. Here’s a breakdown of what Oregon and Washington employers should know.

Outpacing frontline worker wage gains, executive pay has increased dramatically over the past several decades and continues to grow as leaders are faced with managing business activities in increasingly complex and risky macroeconomic environments.

Meal breaks might seem like a simple part of the workday, but in Oregon, the law has very specific requirements about how they must be provided and when they must be paid. Understanding these rules can help employers stay compliant and avoid unnecessary penalties.

If your team avoids conflict, it can feel peaceful at first. No tension. No tough conversations. No awkward meetings where someone “says the thing nobody wants to say.” But here’s the truth many leaders learn too late: A team that avoids conflict doesn’t avoid problems, they avoid conversations. And when people stop communicating directly, they start communicating indirectly. That’s where passive-aggressive behavior comes from. Passive-aggressive culture isn’t the absence of conflict. It’s what conflict becomes when it’s not handled in the open.

AI has quickly become one of the most dominant forces in workplace conversations, shaping everything from executive strategy meetings to everyday employee concerns. The pace of innovation has fueled big expectations about what AI can do and how it will reshape the workforce. Yet as organizations roll out these tools, a gap is emerging between the buzz and the reality. Early findings show that the story is more complex than simple narratives of miraculous transformation or widespread job loss. Understanding what AI is truly capable of and where it still falls short is becoming essential for leaders trying to navigate the future.

Paid Leave Oregon has become one of the most difficult leaves in Oregon to navigate. From limited communications from the Oregon Employment Department, delays in application processing, or employees just not communicating, it has often left employers wondering what to do. What are their options? Based on recommendations from BOLI and changes in the statute and rules, Cascade has compiled the following list of best practices to make navigating PLO easier.

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly integrated into HR and compensation practices, it’s critical to understand its broader influence on the overall function. Many professionals are turning to AI as a potential solution to minimize bias in several aspects, like pay decisions. However, like any tool, AI can just as easily introduce or amplify bias if not used carefully and responsibly.