House Bill 1506 bans pay disparities based on gender and prohibits assigning or directing an employee into a less favorable career track based on gender and failing to provide information about promotions. The bill would also prohibit employers from requiring employees to keep compensation information confidential or retaliate against an employee for comparing or discussing... View Article
In recent months, I’ve come across a number of business owners who are “not getting any younger” and are contemplating their transition out of their business. Many don’t have that one person identified as the next in line for the business. Maybe the owner has no children or the children aren’t interested in the business,... View Article
On June 7, Department of Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta announced the withdrawal of the DOL’s prior Administrator Interpretations (“AIs”) clarifying the department’s position on the broad definition of joint employment and independent contractor misclassification. By withdrawing the AI’s, Acosta does not change the legal obligation of employers under the law. Instead, it rescinds the DOL’s prior guidance... View Article
Many of us, when starting our businesses, were testing the waters. Rather than taking the plunge, we put a toe in. “Will this work?” was the baseline. We might even have had a sense of what the answer to that question looked like — what was the “success” that would drive us to keep it... View Article
Update: US Department of Labor recently updated the criteria related to the “primary beneficiary test”. We have made an updated blog post reflecting that change that you can read by clicking here. Summer is upon us, and this means many workplaces will see an infusion of interns looking to boost their resume and gain valuable on-the-job... View Article
We’re good at goal setting, especially around sales. Each year, we determine what our annual sales growth should be and break it down by month and quarter based on cyclicality and recent trends. It all looks pretty on paper. Then, as we go through the year, the stars don’t always align and we miss our... View Article
I would say most companies I come across have one or more core values focused on high levels of customer service. It’s one of those “must have” elements in how a company continues to exist. Yet we know that “high quality” customer service is subjective, both from the company’s perspective and the customer’s perspective. On... View Article
On December 7, 2016, the Portland City Council approved a tax on certain companies that pay their CEOs 100 times or more what their average employee makes. This surtax is the first in the nation of its kind and its purpose, per the ordinance, is to address income equality. Note that the surtax, added to... View Article
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas granted a temporary injunction blocking the DOL’s new overtime rule nationwide. What does this temporary injunction mean for employers? It means that, at least for now, employers are not required to comply with the new rule. However, if an employer has already put the rules... View Article