By Oregon Business and Industry With the Feb. 21 release of its annual Value of Jobs report, the Portland Business Alliance provided yet more evidence of the competitiveness crisis affecting Oregon, and particularly the state’s economic, political and cultural center in Portland. Contributing to this crisis are rapidly escalating state […]

February 23, 2023 By Ed Choi Bullard Law A new Supreme Court ruling serves as a useful reminder to employers that they must pay employees on a “salary basis” in order to avoid overtime requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), even for highly compensated individuals. In this case, […]

By NFIB, The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index increased 0.5 points in January to 90.3, remaining below the 49-year average of 98. Down six points from last month, 26% of owners reported inflation was their single most important problem in operating their business. Owners expecting better business conditions over the […]

The End of the Round-Up? Oregon Federal Court Takes Issue with Employer Rounding Practices By Sean Ray & Blayne Soleymani-Pearson Barran Liebman Law Firm, Fear not—despite the clickbait title, the rodeo is safe. However, the practice of employers rounding employees’ work time to calculate pay may not be. Rounding has […]

ORLA helps secure over $11.4 million in federal relief for Oregon’s hospitality industry By Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association The Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association Partners with Adesso Capital to Expedite Cash Assistance for Oregon’s Foodservice and Lodging Industry [Wilsonville, OR – 2/13/23] – The Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association […]

By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation In May, voters in Multnomah County will vote on implementing an adjustable 0.75% capital gains tax to provide free lawyers to tenants being evicted. Portland and Multnomah County already subsidize legal defense for low-income renters facing eviction. Backers needed 22,686 valid signatures to qualify […]

National Retail Federation The National Retail Federation issued the following statement from Senior Vice President of Government Relations David French after the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2023 was introduced in the U.S. House. “Organized retail crime remains a persistent threat to the retail industry, accounting for more than $94.5 […]

By Alysha Phelps Barran Liebman LLP On February 9, 2023, the United States Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (“DOL”) published an opinion letter and a field assistance bulletin concerning the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) and the Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”). The DOL opinion letter clarifies […]

By Oregon Small Business Association Foundation Supply chain issues and lower demand as a result of higher prices and interest rates made 2022 the worst year for new car sales since 2011, according to Kelley Blue Book estimates. When automakers report their full year sales next week, the number should […]

By Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association, [From the desk of Chip Rogers, President & CEO, American Hotel & Lodging Association]Today, AHLA released its 2023 State of the Hotel Industry report. The report forecasts that the hotel industry in 2023 will surpass pre-pandemic levels of demand, nominal room revenue and state […]