Archives

January 12, 2011 - Oregon Supreme Court breaks punitive damages cap in employer case

Oregon Supreme Court tosses single-digit ratio for punitive damages in employment case By Lori Bauman, Ater Wynne, Oregon Law Firm, On Thursday, a divided Oregon Supreme Court affirmed a jury award of punitive damages of $175,000 in a case in which compensatory damages were only $6,000. In Hamlin v. Hampton […]

January 11, 2011 - 8 new FDA powers in Food Safety Bill

U.S. Food Safety Overhaul is Underway: FDA Gets Broad Oversight Powers FDA Food Safety Modernization Act brings sweeping changes to food processing industry Davis, Wright, Tremaine LLP By William L. Weigand On Jan. 4, President Obama will sign into law a major overhaul of food safety regulation in the United […]

January 10, 2011 - Companies hire investigators to hunt down sick workers

Companies Hire Private Eyes to Investigate “Sick Days” By Oregon Tax News The weak job market has not prevented workers from abusing their sick days. Kronos, a workforce productivity firm in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, recently found that 57 percent of U.S. salaried employees take sick days when they are not actually […]

January 9, 2011 - 10 Employment Trends to Watch in 2011

10 Employment Trends to Watch in 2011 Based on Nationwide Survey By Career Builder, CHICAGO – January 6, 2011 – With 2011 shaping up to be a better year for job growth, CareerBuilder surveyed more than 2,400 employers and 3,900 workers nationwide to identify ten key trends in business, hiring, […]

January 7, 2011 - Should there be an ethics code for economists?

By Patrick Emerson Oregon Economics Blog The New York Times reports on the effort by some economists to get the American Economic Association to adopt a ‘code of ethics’ whereby members would be required to disclose any potential conflict of interest. Here is an excerpt of the Times story: When […]

January 6, 2011 - Oregon is giving $20,000 away — but few takers

Oregon is giving $20,000 away in mortgage help funds — but few takers Oregon’s economic recovery continues to be threatened by the housing crisis which has been made worse by recent news of Portland home prices sinking to the lowest level since the beginning of the recession. Oregon is one […]

January 5, 2011 - Kulongoski shakes up Energy Dept. management, practices

Gov. calls for appointment of independent personnel review relating to Dept. of Energy contracting. — Governor announces several management changes and calls for independent personnel review following DOJ announcement that no criminal charges will be filed in DOE contracting investigation. Governor Kulongoski Press Release (Salem) – Governor Ted Kulongoski received […]

January 4, 2011 - New 2011 laws for employers, employees

New 2011 laws that impact employers, employees By Oregon Small Business Association, Minimum wage: The Oregon Minimum wage is going up 10-cents from $8.40 to $8.50. It will cost employers a little over $200 for the average minimum wage employee. Six other states are raising their minimum wage including Washington […]

January 3, 2011 - When Will the Next Recession Hit? (Wrong question)

By Bill Conerly, Conerly Consulting, Businomics When will the next recession hit us? Everyone wants to know, but that’s not really the best question. It is, however, pretty close to very good question. I’m Dr. Bill Conerly, economic consultant and author of Businomics. Why is this not a good question? […]