Archives

August 26, 2024 - $35.8M Judgment Reminds Employers to Ensure Compliance with FLSA

By Nicole Elgin & Lex Shvartsmann Barran Liebman Law LLP, In a July 22, 2024 judgment in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, 6,000 workers of residential skilled nursing and rehab facilities were awarded $35.8 million in back wages and damages under the Fair Labor Standards […]


August 21, 2024 - Restaurant Sentenced in Federal Court for Stealing Covid Funds

By Oregon U.S. Attorney Office Press release, A southern Oregon restaurant was sentenced in federal court today for stealing more than $759,000 in federal funds intended to help small businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic. Amigos Mexican Cuisine & Cantina LLC, formerly located outside of Medford, Oregon, was sentenced to pay […]


August 20, 2024 - Wyden: Protect election workers

Wyden, Colleagues Urge Justice Department to Protect Election Workers in Upcoming Election By U.S. Senator Ron Wyden Washington, D.C.— U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said that he and Senate colleagues are urging the U.S. Department of Justice to take further action to counter threats targeting election workers ahead of the upcoming […]


August 19, 2024 - Portland hotel occupancy still not back to normal

By Oregon Small Business Association Foundation, From 2010 to 2020, Portland increased the number of hotel rooms by 4,000, but today many of those rooms sit empty as the city and its businesses struggle to return to pre-pandemic levels of commerce, according to the Portland Business Journal. In 2019, the […]


August 14, 2024 - Portland Chamber joins opposition to Measure 118

By Portland Metro Chamber, The Oregon Secretary of State’s Office assigned a ballot measure number to a massive new tax that will appear on the November ballot. This costly tax on sales, formerly known as Initiative Petition 17, is now officially Measure 118. Measure 118 qualified for the ballot on […]


August 13, 2024 - Employers: Stop Signing Personnel Document Certifications Under Penalty of Perjury

By Chris Morgan & Lex Shvartsmann Barran Liebman Law LLP, August 9, 2024 — Under ORS 652.750, an employer is required to furnish a “certified” copy of an employee’s personnel records within 45 days of the employee’s request. The statute does not expressly specify what is considered a “certified copy.” […]


August 12, 2024 - Two of Oregon Fortune 500 companies layoffs

By Oregon Small Business Association Foundation Two Oregon-based companies on the Fortune 500 in 2024 are laying off employees to cut costs. Nike, based in Beaverton and ranked 88th on the list, announced layoffs in February. Lithia Motors of Medford, which posted a record $8.6 billion in first-quarter sales, announced […]


August 8, 2024 - Small shops hiring plans remain stable, less compensation

By NFIB WASHINGTON, D.C. (Aug. 1, 2024) –  NFIB’s July jobs report found a seasonally adjusted net 33% of small business owners reported raising compensation in July, down five points from last month and the lowest reading since April 2021. A net 18% (seasonally adjusted) plan to raise compensation in […]


August 7, 2024 - Forbes features a dozen Hispanic winemakers

(photo: Gonzales Wine) By Oregon Hispanic Business Association, A dozen Hispanic winemakers in Oregon who hope to pass on their businesses to children and grandchildren as a legacy reflecting love, beauty, and respect for families and the land have banded together in AHIVOY, a group advocating on behalf of Hispanic […]


August 6, 2024 - Man Who Negotiated Guns-for-Drugs Trade Sentenced

By Oregon U.S. Attorney Office Press Release, EUGENE, Ore.—A Lane County, Oregon man who negotiated the trade of methamphetamine for 17 firearms was sentenced to federal prison. Mark Villanueva, 38, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release. According to court documents, in August 2020, […]