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More Portland Sick Leave Resources Now Available!
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The City of Portland has just launched a new website with resources for employers regarding the new Portland Sick Leave Ordinance. The website includes links to the ordinance, the final rule, the required posting (in English and Spanish), and the template notice letter for employees. FAQs are also available for both employers and employees.
Affected employers must provide a written notice to all employees that work in the City, detailing their rights under the ordinance. This notice must be provided to current employees no later than the first pay period of 2014, or for new employees, their first pay period. Employers must also display the required poster at each worksite on or before January 1, 2014.
As the effective date of the new sick leave rule draws closer, employers with employees that work in Portland must familiarize themselves with the ordinance and adjust their policies and handbooks accordingly. Contact us if you have questions!
Save the date! To assist employers with implementation of the new sick leave ordinance, UEA will be hosting a panel discussion on January 23rd! Panel participants include a representative from the United Food and Commercial Workers union (who helped city leaders develop the ordinance), UEA professional staff, and our own UEA members to help answer your questions about the new ordinance. Watch for a flyer in your email inbox soon! |
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Upcoming Workshops
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January 22, 2014 Join us at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Lake Oswego for a lively discussion with business owners and fraud investigation experts. *** Supervisor Boot CampJanuary 28, 2014 Get your new supervisors up to speed fast with our one-day intensive! *** Safety Series, Session 2 - Hazard CommunicationFebruary 5, 2014 OSHA recently updated its hazard communication standards. Attend this session to learn all you need to know in just a couple hours. *** Time ManagementMarch 5 Doesn't it seem like time moves faster than it used to? And our "time-saving devices" end up distracting and interrupting us when we really need to get things done! Attend this workshop to learn how to get a handle on all those competing priorities. |
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| Greetings!
Most of us have the holidays on our minds this month, but it's business as usual for federal, state, and local governments. Our lead article gives you all the information you need to meet the FCRA's requirements for pre-employment background checks. We also cover a recent NLRB decision in favor of an employer who fired two employees for their Facebook activity and give Oregon employers some welcome news regarding 2014 unemployment insurance rates. Check the sidebar for the latest on Portland sick leave. Have a safe and happy holiday!
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Does Your Background Check Process Meet FCRA's Strict Requirements?
 A class-action lawsuit filed against Disney serves as a stark reminder that employers must follow the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) when taking adverse employment actions against employees or job applicants based on a background check. The FCRA governs employers' use of third-party background checks. Disney is accused of violating the FCRA by failing to provide applicants and employees with adverse action notices and copies of background check reports prior to making unfavorable hiring decisions. It's important that employers know the letter of the law before considering background check results during a hiring decision !
Click here to read more about this case and learn how to protect yourself.
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NLRB Judge Upholds Firings for Employees' Facebook Rants
In a favorable decision for employers, a National Labor Relations (NLRB) judge blessed an employer's termination of two employees even though their conduct included protected discussions of working conditions. The judge held that the employer did not violate the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) by firing two employees for Facebook posts that threatened insubordination and other misconduct, reasoning that the conduct was not protected by the NLRA.
Click here to find out what the employees said and why the judge decided their activity was not protected.
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Oregon Unemployment Tax Rates Will Drop in 2014!
Great news! The Oregon Employment Department recently announced that the tax rates employers pay for unemployment insurance will fall for the first time in three years. The average tax rate will drop from 3 percent to 2.76 percent. An Employment Department spokesperson said the rates are down because the unemployment trust fund is at a healthier level and reflects an improved economy. The lower rates could save employers $85 per employee on average. The state's lowest unemployment tax rate - paid by employers with few unemployment claims - drops from 2.2 percent to 1.8 percent (on the first $35,000 paid to each employee). The highest tax rate - assessed on those employers with a large number of unemployment claims - remains at 5.4 percent. An employer's tax rate varies based on its history of former employees filing for unemployment benefits. The more claims an employer has had, the higher the tax rate. Interested in a Free Audit of Your 2014 Unemployment Tax Notice? Oregon and Washington employers just received their unemployment tax rate notices! Let UEA's partner, Employers Unity, LLC, provide a complimentary analysis of your rate notice and potentially alleviate some of these dramatic costs. - See where you are in next year's tax table and how close you are to the next higher or lower bracket.
- Find out if there is room to reduce your unemployment tax costs.
- Learn whether there are claims that have been incorrectly charged to your account.
Can this service provide real savings for your company? We're glad you asked! In one successful example, an analysis by Employers Unity revealed that a local company's tax rate could be reduced by two brackets, saving the company more than $10,000 in unemployment taxes in one year! For your complimentary analysis, send your tax rate notice and contact information (indicate that you are a UEA member) to - Robin Quon Employers Unity, LLC 503-747-5857 (phone) 503-352-9456 (fax) rquon@employersunity.com |
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UEA is a trusted resource for Northwest employers. Our experts are standing by to answer your HR, labor relations, and employee relations questions. Give us a call--we can help!
Sincerely,
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| United Employers Association |
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