Ask HR


Five Tips to Keep Your Employees Happy 

Employee Retention Checklist Besides competitive compensation and benefits, here are five best practices employers can embrace to keep their staff happy and keep them from looking for another job. The current labor shortage has companies competing for workers, and business owners must be aware of what their own employees want in an employer, and what motivates them to stay at their jobs.     Five Factors for Happy Employees  For the past 10 years, the Society […]


Employee Benefit Trends for 2022 

A list of the benefits that can help you recruit and retain workers.    The worker shortage is real, and the great wave of resignations has not yet ended. Job seekers are not just considering pay rates but are now taking a closer look at the benefits a company is offering. Newly released findings from the annual Benefits Survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) list the most desired benefits employees want.   […]


Ask HR | Handling Chronic Employee Complainers

Q. I have a pretty tight-knit crew that has worked together for about one year. The trouble is, I have one employee who is constantly complaining to their supervisor and me, the owner, and to the team. I have tried to handle some of their concerns, but it seems that their job has become nothing but a source of ongoing negative remarks, complaints, and issues. My crew has even started to complain about the complainer, […]


“It’s not fair!” Handling staff complaints on who gets to work remotely.

Dear HR, We are beginning to integrate employees returning to the workplace as COVID-19 restrictions are eased. We have made an exception for one employee with a disability, who will continue to work remotely. A few of our employees have voiced their displeasure with this arrangement. They think it is unfair for them to return to onsite work while one of their other co-workers continues with remote work. Without disclosing personal health information, how can […]


Ask HR: Sexual Harassment Complaint

Dear HR, We just received our first possible sexual harassment complaint. One of our female dockworkers was loading some inventory when a male employee came up and offered to help.  She declined the help, instead suggesting another co-worker (who is male) was struggling with his load and could use some help. The “helpful” employee grabbed the back of her neck, pulled her towards himself, and made direct eye contact with her while still smiling directly […]


How to set up an Employee bonus the smart way!

Did you have a good year? Rewarding your staff for a job well done is a key to retaining good employees. Why not celebrate the work you and your employees accomplished! If you’re planning on giving your employees a bonus, or thinking about it, Cardinal has important Tax information that you need to know about end of the year employee bonuses and options for how to set them up in your payroll system. IRS INFO […]


Ask HR: Upholding our Call-in Policy

Dear HR, One of our new hires failed to follow appropriate call-in policy before missing work.  We are aware that they had a death in the family so want to be kind and help our employee through this tough period, but how do we do that while still upholding our company policies and procedures. HR Answer: Nothing is more frustrating to employers, supervisors, and other staff than when an employee fails to show up to […]


Ask HR: Rules for Employing Minors?

Dear HR: I want to hire a 17-year-old that has already been working for me through a WorkSource GED program. The job duties include mowing, weed-whacking, gardening, fencing repair, painting, cleaning, etc. What are the rules I need to keep in mind when moving forward with hiring a minor? A. First, and most importantly, an Oregon employer who hires minors 14 through 17 years of age must apply to the Bureau of Labor and Industries […]


Ask HR: Can PTO allowance vary by position?

Dear HR: Can I offer different Paid Time Off (PTO) policies to employees based on their position? I would like to offer PTO for full -time staff, but keep our temporary staff on accrued sick time only. Is that allowed under labor laws? A. In Oregon, employers are not required to provide employees with vacation benefits, either paid or unpaid. So yes, you can offer different PTO policies to different employees, as long as the […]


Ask HR: Can my Employee be correctly classified as exempt?

Dear HR, Two of my project managers came into the office today to discuss the salary for a new employee.  The employee will performing supervisor duties as a Foreman, and may occasionally perform some welding and excavating work. My Project Manager said that this employee is a supervisor, and will spend more than half of his time supervising—and will only perform labor when there is a need to help out or train. This employee will […]