Employer access to employee social media content has been a hot topic for months (if not years). As we discussed in a post earlier this month, in Washington the issue made its way to the statehouse this session with the passage of Substitute Senate Bill 5211 which addresses the matter. You can view the actual… Read More
Posts Categorized In: Employment Policies
Should Employers Serve Alcohol At Company Parties?
Work is work. But it does not always have to feel that way. Company parties are a great way to employers and employees to connect with each other on a personal level and loosen up. With summer upon us, many Washington companies will be hosting BBQ’s and other mixers during or after work for their… Read More
What's The Cost Of An Employee Smoke Break?
According to a recent study by Tobacco Control, smoke breaks are expensive not just for the employee that has to pay for the rising cost of cigarette packs, but for the employer as well. $5,800 per year for every smoker is the cost a business must pay for smoke breaks and the health issues that… Read More
Tip Sharing Litigation Brings into Question the Limits of the Labor Department's Authority
In our last post, we discussed an ongoing legal battle between the United States Department of Labor and members of the restaurant industry in the Northwest. The case involves tip sharing arrangements at restaurants in which servers are required to pool either part or all of their tips together, and the resulting amount is redistributed… Read More
Washington Social Media Passwords Protected In Interviews and At Work
A Washington job interview can be a rigorous process. And rightfully so, not only is your potential employer trying to determine whether you have the skills to get the job done but they also wants to make sure you have the personality and other features that will mesh well with the company culture they are… Read More
Oregon Legislators Say You Don't Have to Be Friends with Your Employer
A few weeks ago, we informed you that the Oregon House of Representatives was considering a bill that would prevent employers from requiring their employees or potential employees to provide access to their social media accounts. As KATU.com recently reported, the Oregon Senate passed House Bill 2654B with a large margin of support (28 to… Read More
Tips On How To Handle Legally Questionable Workplace Situations
Work is work. And for that very reason, Washington employees should not have to deal with additional headaches during their days at the office. But the sad reality is that workplace harassment, discrimination, illegal pay practices and other illegal employment activities happen all the time in the state of Washington and throughout the nation. With… Read More
Portland Company Accused of Unfair Wage Practices
A Portland-based company called Alta Bicycle Share has experienced its share of professional peaks and valleys in the last few weeks. Citi Bike, a wide-ranging bike share program run by Alta Bicycle Share, recently opened to great fanfare in New York City. With 15,000 members and 6,000 bicycles at over 300 stations across Manhattan and… Read More
PERS Reform: Proposed Changes to Lower Pension Costs
In our series on the debates surrounding Oregon’s Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) and its potential reforms, we have looked at the issue from several different perspectives: first we examined the major problems plaguing the system, then we explored how the brokenness of the system has adversely affected schools and working teacher, and finally we… Read More
PERS Reform: The Union Perspective
In our last two blog [PERS Reform: Money Match Makes Pension Costs Rise to Unaffordable Heights] posts [PERS Reform: Budget Woes Are Hurting Teachers and Students], we discussed the major problems facing Oregon’s Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), and how PERS’s problems are affecting teachers in Oregon’s public schools. In this post, we will look… Read More