Category: Employment Law

January 25, 2023
by Megan Vaniman

Proposed Oregon bill to disallow no-rehire provisions in workers’ compensation settlements

AFL-CIO (a conglomerate of union groups) has proposed legislation to prohibit no re-hire/reemployment/reinstatement clauses in workers’ compensation settlements. Specifically, the proposed legislation would only allow…

January 18, 2023
by Randi Ensley

Federal Trade Commission Proposes Broad Ban to Non-Compete Agreements

On January 5, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that seeks to ban employers from imposing or enforcing non-compete clauses…

January 4, 2023
by Hannah Teig

Washington State Requiring Salary Transparency on Job Postings Effective January 1, 2023

On January 1, 2023, RCW 49.58.110 goes into effect. This law addresses salary transparency in job postings for certain Washington State employers. In November 2022,…

December 9, 2022
by Christina Joseph

Oregon Paid Family Leave Starts in 2023

The Oregon Paid Family & Medical Leave (OR PFML) program was enacted in August 2019, and beginning January 1, 2023, Oregon employers and employees will…

September 28, 2022
by Kara Cogswell Kidder

Washington Court of Appeals Issues New Decision Which Defines Reasonable Accommodations of Religious Beliefs – and Raises New Questions For Employers

The Washington Court of Appeals, Division 3, issued a decision on September 20, 2022 defining for the first time what is a “reasonable accommodation” of…

September 6, 2022
by Randi Ensley

Equivalent Plan Applications Are Now Available For Oregon’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program

Employer and employee contributions into the Oregon Paid Family & Medical Leave Insurance program are set to begin on January 1, 2023 and employees can…

June 22, 2022
by Megan Vaniman

Washington Silenced No More Act

Washington state passed sweeping new legislation relating to non-disclosure and non-disparagement clauses in employment related agreements. In 2018, Washington implemented legislation in response to the…

May 18, 2022
by Kara Cogswell Kidder

Ninth Circuit Agrees Temporary Impairments Can Be Disabilities Under ADA

A recent decision by the Ninth Circuit confirms that temporary medical conditions can qualify as disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  The outcome…

May 12, 2022
by Rebecca Watkins

Questions about Oregon’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance (PFMLI) program?

The Oregon Employment Department will administer this new leave program and is starting the process of outlining rules. Employers will begin collecting/paying contributions on January…

April 20, 2022
by Randi Ensley

Changes Coming to Oregon’s Workplace Fairness Act January 1, 2023

The Oregon legislature made several changes and key clarifications to the Workplace Fairness Act during the 2022 legislative session. The law currently restricts employers from,…

March 2, 2022
by Hannah Teig

Oregon Employment Department Finds Vaccine Mandate for Remote Workers Reasonable

The Oregon Employment Department recently denied a former Nike employee’s unemployment benefit application in February 2022. The worker, who worked remotely, was fired for failing…

December 1, 2021
by Megan Vaniman

Oregon CROWN Act Goes into Effect January 1, 2022

In 2021, the Oregon Legislature passed the Oregon CROWN Act. The CROWN act prohibits employers from discriminating against employees and potential employees based on hairstyles…

July 21, 2021
by Adriana Ortega

BOLI Enacts Temporary Rules Implementing Senate Bill 483

Senate Bill 483 was signed into law by Governor Brown on June 15, 2021. Yesterday, the Bureau of Labor and Industries filed Temporary Rules with…

June 21, 2021
by Rebecca Watkins

Washington Employers Receive Guidance on WPFML from the State

Employers have been attempting to implement the Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave Act (WPFMLA) with little guidance from the Employment Security Department. In the…

June 16, 2021
by Megan Vaniman

Oregon Passes CROWN Act

Oregon joins a number of states in prohibiting discrimination based on hairstyles associated with a person’s race. Governor Brown signed HB2935 on June 11, 2021….

April 7, 2021
by Megan Vaniman

BOLI Passes Permanent Rules Relating to OFLA Sick Child Leave During Public Health Emergency

In March 2020, Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) temporarily expanded Oregon Family Leave Act leave to extend protected leave to include employee leave…

March 18, 2021
by Laurel

Join Attorney Jamie Carlton in Webinar: Can Employer’s Require Vaccines?

Join SBH Attorney Jamie Carlotn and Nicolle Farup of Good Company HR as they discuss whether employers can and should require vaccines. This all-important webinar…

March 17, 2021
by Adriana Ortega

What’s Brewing at the Oregon Legislature in Employment Law?

Although it is not meeting as often as it did in pre-COVID times, the Oregon Legislature has been busy evaluating several bills. Some of these…

December 27, 2020
by Jamie Carlton

FFCRA Leave not Extended under New Stimulus Bill

Earlier this year, Congress passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) which required covered employers to provide eligible employees with paid leave for specific…

December 18, 2020
by Randi Ensley

EEOC Provides Guidance on Employer Mandated COVID-19 Vaccination

On December 16, 2020, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) provided updated guidance on the subject of vaccines in the wake of the Food…

November 18, 2020
by Adriana Ortega

Employee Handbook: The Gift that Keeps on Giving

As the holiday season rounds the corner of this eventful year, our thoughts turn to gifts and gift-giving. From a business perspective, I happen to…

October 21, 2020
by Rebecca Watkins

Washington employers, remember to review exempt salaries for 2021

In late 2019, the Washington Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) outlined new rules for exempt employees, including base salaries. The salary threshold for exempt…

September 9, 2020
by Randi Ensley

Proposed Unemployment Rule May Impact Oregon Employers-Feedback Due by October 21

On September 3, 2020, the Employment Department issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking of Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) 471-030-0071. The proposed rule (found here) gives…

July 29, 2020
by Adriana Ortega

Getting Back to Work in a COVID World

As we all begin to return to work following the loosening of restrictions, it is important to take stock and prepare for the future. By…

July 22, 2020
by Rebecca Watkins

Oregon employers: are you ready for the Workplace Fairness Act?

The Workplace Fairness Act goes into full effect on October 1, 2020. This Act adds to Oregon’s existing discrimination and harassment laws, extending statutes of…