GreatWork Blog

Building better workplaces through compliance, culture, connection

According to a recent report from Aon Hewitt, there are three current drivers of employee engagement in the United States. How would your employees rate your organization in these areas? 

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. 

We support Cascade Employers’ members with outplacement services and I want to give you a short update on the Oregon job market.  In spite of the apparent improvement in our economy, job search for our clients remains far more complex, emotionally exhausting, and time consuming than at any time in the 25 years since I began practicing outplacement in Oregon and SW Washington.  

The Association’s Board and Staff invite you to an open house honoring Patrice Altenhofen for her years of unsurpassed leadership at Cascade as she hands over the presidential baton to Gayle Klampe.

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.  

I grew up in a house in San Francisco where golf seemed like the most important activity in the world. My father, a policeman, was on the swing shift and did not spend a lot of time with my brother and me, but when he did, we talked, practiced and played golf. For 30 years, my father played every Friday with the same foursome (his team). We practiced putting in the living room. When my brother reached high school, he joined the golf team and became “first man.” He even developed a booklet about putting with photos in it.

Question: Can I pay for my employee’s individual health insurance plan outside of our normal group coverage?

Much of my day is spent doing what I love: assessing the needs of employers and linking them to the Cascade resources that advance workplace success. In other words, member relations.

Last week Cascade hosted a free member forum at its new Portland office. It was a lovely event and I enjoyed mingling with the employers that gave up a Friday afternoon to learn more about all of the many benefits available to Cascade members. Our guests discussed how they use Cascade and what their most treasured benefits are.

It is natural to experience shock and anger when something terrible happens. Those who are “resilient,” or have a “Survivor Personality,” don’t let bad circumstances define who they are. They assess their choices and make the most wise and positive ones. 

According to a recent data, employee claims for violations of the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) increased 18% between 2009 and 2010. 

A stronger economy often gives workers greater courage to change jobs, but the excuses offered for jumping ship can leave many employers perplexed. A new OfficeTeam survey reveals the wackiest reasons job seekers have given for handing in their notice. 

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. 

Do you ever wonder why training doesn’t get “off-the-ground” or seems to get stuck? Glen Fahs, expert trainer and coach, and one of Cascade’s Leadership Facilitators, outlines some common struggles with training and the antidotes that can solve them.

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

We are so excited today at Cascade! Thank you to all of our Members for allowing us to be a part of your journey towards excellence.

The Department of Labor recently published new eligibility, medical certification, and designation notices for the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) with an expiration date of February 28, 2015. 

Do you have time to take three days away from your office to develop your HR leadership skills? I know, I know – you’re really busy and that’s a long time to be out of the office. Well, we wouldn’t ask you to take three days away to participate in our HR Leadership Certificate Program if we weren’t absolutely certain it would be worth it. 

In the past year, I’ve worked with numerous organizations on employee engagement. I’ve sifted through and analyzed a lot of data, had some difficult conversations, celebrated with employers, and stayed up late at night researching. What have I found out?

Cascade is offering a new and innovative four-part course on Project and Change Management, beginning February 1st.  Instructor Donald Nagle teaches with a practical knowledge as well as extensive personal experience. The post below is his vision of what the current reality is, and how he can teach class participants to succeed by completing the projects that they are working on right now.

What makes employees want to do their best? Right at the top of motivators is positive reinforcement, i.e., people who thoughtfully listen to our ideas, recognize our strengths and reward our efforts with appreciation. There are plenty of managers and executives with weak people skills who think beautiful buildings, snazzy perks and fat paychecks will bring out the best in people. They don’t.

The National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) has announced that it has once again postponed the “Notification of Employee Rights” posting deadline. This is the second time the NLRB has postponed the poster requirement. 

On November 30, by a vote of 2-1, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) approved a resolution allowing the Board to amend its pre-election regulations. 

“R-E-S-P-E-C-T.  Find out what it means to me.”  Well said, Aretha.  When it comes to workplace respect you can throw out the “Golden Rule”…You know, that rule you learned in kindergarten – treat others how you want to be treated yourself.  Instead, let’s follow Aretha’s advice.

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.

Whatever you have heard about the word “Lean”, it is not downsizing.  Some people tend to associate the term, “Lean” with “downsizing” or “restructuring”.  Some people think that through the implementation of “Lean”, that out of ten people, two people’s jobs could be eliminated, so that a company has to let two people go. If you have this kind of intimidating image about “Lean”, this is not the original understanding.  Let’s examine Lean more closely.

Recently I received a message using the subject line: “Do subject lines really matter?” Immediately opening it, I wanted to read more. 

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

In your workplace, have you heard the word “Lean”? I am sure many of you have. The word “Lean” was first described in 1988 by John Krafcik, who was a quality engineer at GM-Toyota joint venture “NUMMI” plant in Fremont, CA. Krafcik has continued to research the Lean method jointly with MIT researchers, such as Jim Womack, who is a major active advocator for “Lean”. The concept of “Lean” was majorly adopted from Toyota Production System (TPS) and developed through the 1990’s.