From charlie.burr at state.or.us Fri Sep 12 09:00:41 2014 From: charlie.burr at state.or.us (Burr, Charlie) Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2014 16:00:41 +0000 Subject: =?Windows-1252?Q?NEWS_RELEASE:_BOLI=92s_30th_Annual_Employment_Law_Confer?= =?Windows-1252?Q?ence_will_help_employers_navigate_complex_issues?= Message-ID: <6376A41CAD6C3E4F8A65385BDA4072612AEE904F@D5DAG1B.D5.USA.NET> [cid:image001.png at 01CF557C.F36B39B0] For Immediate Release September 12, 2014 CONTACT: Charlie Burr, (971) 673-0788 BOLI?s 30th Annual Employment Law Conference will help employers navigate complex issues ?We want to help employers so that they can focus on growing their operations,? says Avakian Portland, OR?The Bureau of Labor and Industries has opened registration for the 30th Annual Employment Law Conference to be held November 6-7 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, the agency announced today. The state?s premier employer training event will feature 24 sessions on frequently requested topics such as workplace harassment, rightful discharge, Portland?s sick leave ordinance, dealing with difficult employees, protected leave laws, and religious discrimination and accommodations. The conference agenda and registration information can be found on BOLI?s website. ?BOLI?s employment law experts will help employers navigate frequently complex issues during the conference,? said Labor and Industries Commissioner Brad Avakian. ?We?ve organized the conference based on what local employers most frequently ask about when we meet with them or field the nearly 20,000 calls that come into our agency each year.? Early bird registration is available until October 10th at $449 per person. One-day conference passes are also available for $369 per person. Interested employers can also email the agency at bolita at boli.state.or.us or call (971) 673-0824. Seminars will answer questions such as: ? How long am I required to keep employment records like applications, I-9 forms or payroll records? ? What recent labor and employment case law developments do I need to know? ? How do I safely dispose of medical records, respond to personnel file requests and manage family leave law records? ? How should my organization investigate and process a workers? comp claim? ? What are the most common employer mistakes that lead to employment claims? How can I avoid them? ? What does my business need to know about the new I-9 form and immigration law compliance? For more information about BOLI?s efforts to support Oregon employers and protect Oregon?s workforce, visit http://www.oregon.gov/BOLI. ### Charlie Burr Communications Director Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries 800 NE Oregon Street, Suite 1045 Portland, Oregon 97232 Tel: 971-673-0788 Cell: 503-913-5407 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 3872 bytes Desc: image001.png URL: From charlie.burr at state.or.us Wed Sep 17 10:15:11 2014 From: charlie.burr at state.or.us (Burr, Charlie) Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2014 17:15:11 +0000 Subject: NEWS RELEASE: Avakian announces 2015 minimum wage increase for 141,000 workers Message-ID: <6376A41CAD6C3E4F8A65385BDA4072612AEE993E@D5DAG1B.D5.USA.NET> [cid:image001.png at 01CFD259.86EC7740] For Immediate Release September 17, 2014 CONTACT: Charlie Burr, (971) 673-0788 office Avakian announces 2015 minimum wage increase for 141,000 workers Wage floor adjustment will boost consumer buying power, strengthen economy, says Avakian PORTLAND-Oregon Labor and Industries Commissioner Brad Avakian today announced that Oregon's minimum wage will increase to $9.25 on January 1, 2015, providing a $.15 per hour raise for 141,822 workers. "Oregon's minimum wage helps workers keep pace with the rising cost of goods while boosting the purchasing power of consumers around the state," said Commissioner Avakian. "With this increase in Oregon's wage floor, more than 140,000 Oregonians will have more money to make ends meet - and more money to spend at local businesses. That's good for everyone." The adjustment will mean that minimum wage earners working 30 hours a week will have $234 more to spend on goods in 2015. The increase is expected to generate more than $25 million in new consumer spending for Oregon's economy next year. Each year, Commissioner Avakian calculates the minimum wage by measuring the increase to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), a figure published by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics to track prices for a fixed "market basket" of goods. Passed by a coalition of senior, hunger and labor advocates in 2002, Oregon's minimum wage system ensures that workers don't lose ground to inflation. "We all do better when people in our communities can make ends meet," said Patti Whitney-Wise of the Oregon Hunger Task Force. "By increasing family economic security, this rise in the minimum wage will help people afford more nutritious food for their families. When we help people invest in good nutrition, we help create great communities for us all to live in. Family economic security is the foundation for prosperous, stable communities." One common misconception about employees earning a minimum wage is that they are mostly teenagers. However, according to the Economic Policy Institute, roughly 80 percent of all minimum wage workers living in states with an indexed minimum wage last year were at least 20 years old. "About two-thirds of minimum wage workers in Oregon are women, and increasingly women are primary and co-breadwinners in their families - and our communities," said Andrea Paluso of Family Forward. "The stereotype that minimum wage workers are inexperienced teens wanting pocket change simply isn't the case. Truth is, Oregon women and their families depend more and more on what women earn to pay the bills." The 2015 minimum wage increase will affect roughly eight percent of Oregon's workforce. Oregon employers are required to post minimum wage posters. Downloadable posters for 2015 reflecting the new minimum wage rate will be available on BOLI's website later this week free of charge. ### Charlie Burr Communications Director Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries 800 NE Oregon Street, Suite 1045 Portland, Oregon 97232 Tel: 971-673-0788 Cell: 503-913-5407 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 8969 bytes Desc: image001.png URL: From charlie.burr at state.or.us Thu Sep 25 09:40:15 2014 From: charlie.burr at state.or.us (Burr, Charlie) Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2014 16:40:15 +0000 Subject: NEWS RELEASE: BOLI will help landlords navigate housing law and new Section 8 protections during upcoming seminars Message-ID: <6376A41CAD6C3E4F8A65385BDA4072612AEEA60A@D5DAG1B.D5.USA.NET> [cid:image001.png at 01CFD89C.F718A900] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 25, 2014 CONTACT: Charlie Burr, BOLI, (971) 673-0788 BOLI will help landlords navigate housing law and new Section 8 protections during upcoming seminars Free seminars will provide guidance on source of income rules, disability law in rental housing PORTLAND, OR-Labor Commissioner Avakian announced today that a series of 15 upcoming civil rights seminars on housing law will help landlords understand Oregon's new Section 8 rules and provide an overview of disability protections and other frequent areas of landlord/tenant disputes. Starting Monday, the Bureau of Labor and Industries will offer two-hour seminars around the state free of charge to members of the public. "Oregon's new civil rights protection mean that Oregonians cannot be turned away and denied a place to live because of income," said Labor Commissioner Avakian. "With increasing rents and housing costs, it's important that families have a fair shot at housing near their workplaces or children's schools. Our hope is that these seminars will help landlords understand the rules and avoid potential mistakes or violations." The forums will focus on the common area of civil right complaints in housing and an overview of Oregon's new Section 8 law (HB 2639, championed by House Speaker Tina Kotek). The seminars will answer questions such as: * If a disability is not obvious, what information may a housing provider request from a person with a disability in support of a requested accommodation? * What are common pitfalls around familial status and rental properties? * What do landlords need to know about protected classes in Oregon civil rights law? * How are "no pets" policies affected by tenants with assistance animals? * What do housing providers need to know about tenant-on-tenant harassment? * How does BOLI's civil rights process work? * What resources exist for housing providers to answer other tough questions? BOLI secured $20,000 in partnership grant funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to conduct the sessions. No pre-registration is required, and attendees are encouraged to arrive early to ensure a seat. Housing experts from BOLI will hold the first seminar Monday, September 29th in Portland at the Portland State Office Building at 800 NE Oregon, Room 1B from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Training Schedule Wednesday, October 15 (10 a.m. to noon) Hillsboro Monday, October 20 (9:00 to 11:00 a.m.) Ontario Tuesday, October 21 (9:00 to 11:00 a.m.) Bend Wednesday, October 22 (9:00 to 11:00 a.m.) Klamath Falls Wednesday, October 22 (2:30 to 4:30 p.m.) Medford Thursday, October 23 (10:00 am to noon) Eugene Thursday, October 23 (2:30 to 4:30 p.m.) Salem Tuesday, October 28 (9:00 to 11:00 a.m.) North Portland Wednesday, October 29 (9:00 to 11:00 a.m.) Oregon City Wednesday, November 12 (10:00 a.m. to noon) Eugene Thursday, November 13 (2:30 to 4:30 p.m.) Medford Tuesday, November 18 (10:00 am to noon) Salem Wednesday, November 19 (2:00 to 4:00 p.m.) SE Portland Tuesday, December 9 (1:00 to 3:00 p.m.) Portland Portland State Office Building 800 NE Oregon Street, Room 1A Portland, OR 97232 For more information about BOLI's efforts to support Oregon employers and protect Oregon's workforce, visit http://www.oregon.gov/BOLI. The agency's Technical Assistance for Employers program can be reached at (971) 673-0824. ### Charlie Burr Communications Director Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries 800 NE Oregon Street, Suite 1045 Portland, Oregon 97232 Tel: 971-673-0788 Cell: 503-913-5407 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 7699 bytes Desc: image001.png URL: