Category: Employment Law
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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….
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
