Staffing Administration Insights

Health coverage is an important component of a happy life and mental well-being. In turn, employees with affordable health care are more productive and engaged in their work. Prior to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), nearly 1 in 5 Oregonians lacked health care coverage. Today, 95% of Oregon residents have coverage. Here is how the ACA has impacted Oregon.

The Washington Cares Fund is a long-term insurance program developed by the state legislature to address the future long-term health care crisis. The program aims to provide Washington employees with affordable, long-term care insurance benefits that any eligible member can use for a wide range of long-term healthcare needs.

Processing payroll in Oregon has a lot of moving parts. Before paying an employee in the state, you must consider several areas of Oregon Payroll Law, including the minimum wage, hours worked, overtime, allowed deductions, payroll tax, and more.

According to the Boston College of Retirement Research, half of the people in the U.S. won't have enough funds saved to keep their standard of living during retirement. Additionally, over a third of workers have less than $1,000 in retirement savings.

Starting in January of 2023, Oregon businesses will have to manage compliance with Oregon Paid Lave, a new paid leave law creating requirements regarding a state-paid leave fund. Oregon employers need to ensure they are prepared to comply with and understand the contribution rates as well as other responsibilities under the new legislation.

Oregon OSHA Division II covers general rules regarding health and safety. While its subdivisions pertain to specific safety hazards, they do not pertain to any singular industry. The following guide, while not a complete overview, outlines the most important and most commonly applicable provisions for Oregon employers.

On August 8th, 2017, Oregon governor Kate Brown signed the Oregon Predictive Scheduling Law which went took effect in July of 2018. The legislation was updated in 2020, with an extended notice period of 14 days as opposed to seven days. Oregon’s Predictive Scheduling Law is meant to protect employees against last-minute scheduling changes that could negatively impact their income. 

Extraordinarily high heat and temperatures have been growing trend in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. To make matters worse, wildfires and the fallout effects from them have also been impacting the region. As part of an ongoing effort to protect employees from the dangers presented by the extreme heat and wildfires, Oregon OSHA has issued three new rules/laws for employers to observe. 

Under the Equal Pay Act of 1963, the U.S. Department of Labor prohibits wage discrimination based on gender. Many states, including Oregon, have reinforced this law with new legislation to ensure that employees receive equal pay for equal work as a part of Oregon payroll requirements. Governor Kate Brown signed Oregon's Equal Pay Act of 2017 (OEPA) into law in June 2017.