GreatWork Blog

Building better workplaces through compliance, culture, connection

As we move through 2023, annual reviews may be on the horizon or the current season in your organization's performance management process, which means compensation conversations will need to be held. Money can be emotionally charged and deeply personal.

Here is something to consider: Would you commit to purchasing an apple at the grocery store that didn't have a price tag? Maybe, depending on how much you needed the apple, or how much money you have to safely gamble on the unknown priced apple. Asking job seekers to search for a role without a salary listed on the job posting is not exactly the same situation, but a similar conundrum presents.

The journey of pay transparency is a buzzing topic online these days with articles, including news briefs, thought pieces, opinion articles, and more. Pay transparency as a mandate has rapidly expanded into new local and state legislation, organizational best practices, and more in the last five years or so.

The 2023 National Executive Compensation report is now available to purchase! A great source of national compensation data for executives across the United States, this report is a valuable resource for HR and compensation professionals in organizations with multiple locations or recruiters searching nationally. With employees being able to work remotely across the country and with the large hiring market, it is more important now than ever to make sure your compensation packages are not just competitive locally, but nationally too.

The March 31^st deadline for the 2023 Regional Pay Survey is fast approaching! Make sure to participate in Oregon’s largest compensation survey soon! 

Collecting compensation data on over 600 positions from Oregon and Washington organizations, this survey is an excellent resource for HR and compensation professionals looking to attract and retain great talent.

The 2023 Regional Pay Survey is here, and it is time to participate in Oregon and Washington’s largest compensation survey! Collecting compensation data on over 600 positions from Oregon and Washington organizations, this survey breaks out the final data by several demographics (e.g., industry, size, revenue) to ensure you can compare your data to similar competitive organizations.

As the remaining chapters of 2022 come to a close, we anxiously await what 2023's pages hold. Economists, analysts, and pundits have been predicting since the second quarter of 2022, but what can we expect for the upcoming year? If the past 12 months have revealed anything about compensation trends, it is that 2023 will continue to be a wild ride. Here's what we know so far.

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!

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. 

2022 is here, and with it, a new round of surveys! Download our new survey calendar for the year, which includes estimates for launch dates, close dates, when reports will be available, and pricing. Explore our survey website for more information on all the amazing surveys we offer.

The 2021-22 National Wage & Salary Survey report is now available for purchase! A great source of national data for 151 positions across the United States, this report is another valuable resource for HR and compensation professionals in organizations with multiple locations or recruiters searching nationally.

Many employers, due to various factors in recent times, have started considering starting wage levels at a living wage rather than minimum wage. A living wage is the amount an individual or family would need to make to avoid living in poverty. 

One of the many lasting cultural shifts to come from the COVID-19 pandemic is the flexibility for many employees to work remotely. What once was thought to be a temporary assignment, now appears to be here to stay. The next question comes, how will you compensate those employees located in different areas?  

The 2021 Regional Pay Survey reports are now available! This year, 553 organizations participated from across Oregon and Washington, representing data for 41,467 employees. From that data we were able to report on 527 positions overall. Of the 553 participants, 192 were nonprofits, which resulted in 195 positions being reportable in the Nonprofit Report.

Equal Pay Day was on March 24, 2021. Equal Pay Day marks the day into the year on which it takes women on average to earn what men did in the previous year. 

Typically, our recommendation on best practice is to formally analyze market data at least every three years, using multiple market sources. There can be many reasons why you would want to look at data more frequently for reasons such as high turnover and an increase in market demand for certain jobs.

Collecting wage and salary data for over 600 positions from about 700 organizations across Oregon and Washington, this survey provides reliable and comprehensive data that allows you to remain competitive in your local market.

Many organizations have employees who have taken on more work as a result of workforce reductions and now have hybrid roles where they previously did not. These may have started as temporary assignments but if these additional tasks continue, it may be important to ensure you are paying for these hybrid roles and the additional duties taken on.

Cost of Living and Cost of Labor mean different things and often times lead to confusion when talking about how they impact compensation and total rewards.

With 701 organizations participating, representing 56,224 employees across Oregon and Washington, the 2020 Regional Pay Survey is a vital tool for managers, HR professionals, and business owners. Reflecting pay data for 562 positions, the survey report provides exclusive wage and salary data for a variety of executive, exempt, and non-exempt positions.

As laws tighten and awareness of pay equity continues, employers are faced more frequently with the pressure for pay transparency. Pay transparency is the degree to which employers are open about employee compensation in regards to what it is, how it is set and why.

Do you have compensation challenges and are unsure where to begin? Whether it’s quick compensation consulting or large projects, we are here to help!

Nonprofits 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. Nonprofits typically have a Board of Directors who have a financial responsibility when setting executive pay to ensure that it is fair and reasonable. This poses an ongoing challenge for many boards who are trying to be reasonable while either recruiting for top/key talent or retaining qualified and knowledgeable Executive Directors in nonprofits where the area of expertise is oftentimes very specialized.

With some of the lowest unemployment rates in history, the job market is a highly competitive one. This competitive market can increase confidence among workers about changing jobs. With wages continuously increasing due to the tight labor market, it is imperative to ensure that companies are paying market competitively to retain and attract top talent.

Considering that most of us spend more than 2000 hours per year at our jobs, it would be great if we loved what we did. “Doing what you love” is typically at the heart of those who choose to work for nonprofit organizations.

It’s all the rage in the world of human resources . . . Pay Equity! You have heard about it. Stressed about it. Maybe even cried about it. By following some consistent steps, you will get through this with flying colors.

Cascade Employers Association is pleased to present key findings from the 2018 Nonprofit Pay and Benefits Survey report. Data for this survey was collected between March and May of 2018, with 176 nonprofit organizations participating throughout Oregon and SW Washington.

You hit it … the maximum of a pay range! Now what? When I get this question, I have a few questions that I need answered.

Determining a starting salary for a new hire can be difficult. Offering a starting salary too low may exclude good candidates or may attract someone unqualified for the position. A starting salary too high may prove unsustainable.

There has never been a more important time (and it still is!) to evaluate how you communicate your pay programs to employees. Ensuring that your employees clearly understand your overall pay strategy and philosophy is critical.