November 2025
Cascade Compliance Team
compliance@cascadeemployers.com
Get ready for 2026! Don’t miss Cascade’s two most popular events: the annual Oregon Compliance Update and Washington Compliance Update sessions.
Each session focuses on that state’s key employment law developments from 2025 and prepares you for the changes taking effect in 2026. Perfect for HR professionals, business owners, and anyone managing employees in Oregon or Washington.
We’ll break down what passed, what’s changing, and what you need to do now to stay compliant. Participants will also receive a compliance checklist and other practical resources to implement these changes with confidence.
Oregon Compliance Update – Dec. 2, 2025 | 8:30–10:30 a.m.
Learn More and Register Here
Washington Compliance Update – Dec. 9, 2025 | 8:30–10:30 a.m.
Learn More and Register Here
Join us before year-end to stay compliant and one step ahead.
Cascade Compliance Team
compliance@cascadeemployers.com
Effective January 1, 2026, the Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) premium rate will increase to 1.13% of each employee’s gross wages, not including tips. Employers will pay 28.57% of the total premium, and employees will pay 71.43%.
This rate is recalculated annually in October based on total premiums collected and benefits paid during the previous year. Currently, the 2025 rate is 0.92%, with employers paying 28.48% and employees 71.52%.
Premiums must be collected until an employee reaches the Social Security wage cap, which will increase from $176,100 to $184,500 for 2026. Once the cap is reached, employers must stop collecting employee premiums but need to continue reporting employee wages.
Employers classified by the Employment Security Department (ESD) as having fewer than 50 employees are not required to pay the employer portion. However, these employers must still collect the employee premiums, or they may choose to pay employees’ portions on their behalf.
Employers should notify employees that the new withholding premium rate applies to wages paid on or after January 1, 2026, and review payroll systems to ensure the correct premium deductions are in place. Remember, employers cannot retroactively withhold premiums from employees and are responsible for any missed amounts. ESD will update the employer toolkit, mandatory poster, and pay stub insert in December 2025.
McKenna Arnold, Survey and Research Manager
surveys@cascadeemployers.com
The modern workplace is evolving rapidly, presenting organizations with increasingly challenging and complex issues. Understanding how other organizations are responding to these dynamics is crucial for effective planning.
That’s why Cascade is launching our Winter Workplace Trends Survey, and your input is essential. By participating, you will directly contribute to generating valuable insights into the regional workforce.
Why Your Participation is Crucial:
Your insights are more than just data points; they're the key to understanding the real-time dynamics and emerging trends that are shaping the future. By participating, you're directly contributing to:
What the Survey Covers:
This concise 12-question survey takes less than 15 minutes and covers the topics that matter most to you, including:
Your Exclusive Benefit:
As a thank you for your valuable time and insights, all participants will receive a FREE copy of the comprehensive survey report upon publication in December. This report will provide you with:
How to Participate:
The survey is quick and easy! Don’t miss this opportunity to secure your free report.
Thank you for continuing to support our survey efforts to provide valuable data to our members.
Cascade Compliance Team
compliance@cascadeemployers.com
After much thought, we’ve decided to sunset the current version of HR Reinforce. In addition to the robust resources available to you in Cascade’s HR Library, HR Reinforce is a portal to help you find additional state and national content and tools needed to stay compliant, manage risk and build a better workforce.
While we know HR Reinforce has been a helpful part of your membership, we’re making room for something bigger, better, and built just for you.
Here’s the honest part: For about four months, HR Reinforce won’t be available while we put the finishing touches on its shiny replacement. During this time, you’ll continue to have Cascade’s HR Library for guides, factsheets, forms, policies and more. We know that creates a bit of a gap, and we appreciate your patience during this transition.
Here’s the fun part: What’s coming next will offer you more value and more of the tools you’ve told us you need most. We can’t spill all the details just yet but trust us—you’ll be glad you waited.
Change can be a little bumpy, but it also makes way for growth. Thank you for being part of our Cascade community and for letting us keep leveling up the resources we provide.
Margaret Oglesby, Compensation Consultant
compensation@cascadeemployers.com
October 3, 2025 marked the first time in 12 years that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) did not release its “Employment Situation” report, a key indicator long used to assess the nation’s economic health. Job numbers are one of the most closely watched metrics for understanding business conditions and overall economic trends. While the agency has faced its share of scrutiny in recent months, the current delay stems from the ongoing federal government shutdown. With the BLS unable to publish its direction-defining data, attention now turns to identifying the next best guide for understanding the labor market.
Numerous private firms have set out to provide context for the BLS’s job report such as ADP National Employment Report, Revelio Labs, Wall Street Firm Analyses, Challenger, Gray and Christmas layoffs reports. Analysts estimate the economy added 50,000 jobs in September, up from August’s preliminary 22,000, with unemployment unchanged at 4.3%. Additional private-sector data also points to easing labor conditions and a steady decline in job openings. There’s no shortage of data out there, each source telling a slightly different story and reporting in its own way. The best approach to using alternative data is to draw from multiple sources to build a more complete picture of the labor market, while keeping their limitations in mind.
BLS reporting will be delayed as a result of the shutdown, with the lag likely to grow the longer it continues. For now, the future of the jobs report remains uncertain, leaving policymakers, businesses, and analysts navigating a period of economic ambiguity without one of their most trusted benchmarks. Until regular reporting resumes, the focus will likely shift toward alternative data sources to fill in the gaps and maintain some visibility into the health of the labor market.
Cascade Compliance Team
compliance@cascadeemployers.com
Question: If our business shuts down because of weather, are we required to pay employees for the full day?
Answer: It depends on whether the employee is non-exempt or exempt.
Non-exempt employees are paid only for hours actually worked. If the business closes for the entire day and they perform no work, there is no requirement to pay them. If the business closes partway through the day, they only need to be paid for the hours worked before the closure. You may allow or require them to use available PTO or vacation to cover the remainder of the day.
Exempt employees must be paid their full salary if they perform any work during the workweek, even if the office closes for a full or partial day. You may require them to use PTO or vacation to cover a full- or partial-day closure, but if they have exhausted their paid leave banks, they still must receive their full salary. The only time pay may be withheld is if the business is closed for an entire workweek and the employee performs no work at all during that week.
By Sheryl Kelsh, Membership Development Manager
skelsh@cascadeemployers.com
As a Cascade member, you already know your annual membership gives you access to a wide menu of services plus discounted à la carte options. What you may not know is that we now offer four distinct membership packages designed to better fit organizations of every size and need: Essential, Small Business, Premium, and Pro.
Essential (Any Size)
Our longstanding, core membership package helps you navigate HR with confidence. It includes access to our HR Helpline, HR Practices Assessment, Quick Pulse Survey, new HR micro-learning videos, monthly HR Connect webinars, compliance news, and discounts on ala carte services and training. It provides full access to a comprehensive HR Library that includes HR tools, forms, pre-written policies, checklists, whitepapers, and FAQ’s located in the exclusive members-only area of our website.
Small Business (1–24 Employees)
Tailored specifically for smaller teams, this package provides everything included in the Essential membership plus an annual employee handbook template and unlimited HR Helpline support. Recent enhancements include the addition of an annual $200 training credit and Payscale Peer access for compensation benchmarking.
Premium (25+ Employees)
Introduced last year, Premium is designed for organizations ready to simplify compliance and cultivate team potential. It builds on the Essential package with enhanced benefits like unlimited HR Helpline access, a $200 Training credit, and a PayScale Peer subscription for compensation benchmarking.
Pro (25+ Employees)
Also launched last year, Pro is our strongest support package and best value for larger teams. In addition to everything in Premium, you’ll receive an Employee Handbook template, a $400 consulting credit, and even a dedicated HR consultant who will support your team to address challenges and provide customized HR solutions.
Which Package is Right for You?
Whether you’re a small team needing foundational HR support or a larger organization looking for comprehensive, hands-on guidance, Cascade has a package to match your needs.
Not sure if you’re in the best package for your organization? We’d be happy to schedule a short benefits review to help you evaluate your options and ensure you’re getting the most value out of your membership. Contact Sheryl Kelsh, Membership Development Manager, for your review.
Your membership is designed to grow with you.
