The law expands the current sex-based pay discrimination law and to include ten protected classes:

1. Race
2. Color
3. Religion
4. Sex
5. Sexual orientation
6. National origin
7. Marital status
8. Veteran status
9. Disability
10. Age

“Work of Comparable Character” Defined

Next, the law explicitly prohibits paying these classes less than others for “work of comparable character”, defined as work that requires “substantially similar knowledge, skill, effort, responsibility and working conditions in the performance of work, regardless of job description or title.”

Acceptable Pay Differences

There are a few exceptions for different compensation levels, however. The law states that the differences must be based on job-related factors, including:

• Seniority or merit
• Work location
• Education
• Training
• Experience
• A combination of these factors

Salary History Ban

The law also bans employers from screening applicants based on salary history. Also, employers are prohibited from inquiring about an applicant’s salary history from both the applicant and his or her previous employer.

Employers may not use salary history when setting compensation, except when establishing pay for a current employee during a transfer or hire to a new position within the same employer.

Employee Notices

Employers are required to provide notice to employees of the law’s requirements via labor law poster. If a poster is not feasible, employers can distribute a written notice to each employee personally by mail or email, or by including it with their paycheck. Also, the notice may be added to an employee handbook or manual in both print and electronic format.

View more here: https://www.govdocs.com/oregons-equal-pay-act-to-take-effect-jan-1-2019/

The post Oregon’s Equal Pay Act to Take Effect Jan. 1, 2019 appeared first on Confident Construction Workforce.

First, a NAHB map showing how the typical lot size for new construction varies across the different Census divisions (the lowest level of geography for which data is available). The Pacific Division has the smallest lot size at 0.15 acres which is roughly 6,500 square feet.

Depending upon where you live here in Oregon a 6,500 square foot lot is either pretty big, fairly typical, or even small. For example, the classic single family parcel in the City of Portland is 5,000 square feet, and the most common residential zoning in the City of Bend, and City of Salem call for 4,000 square feet. That said, Beaverton has a lot of 5,000 and 7,000 square foot lots, Medford is primarily 7,000 and 10,000 square foot lots, while Lake Oswego has mostly 7,500, 10,000, and 15,000 square foot lots. Rarely are homes built on larger parcels than these, both due to development codes and the fact that most new construction takes place in urban areas, or on the urban fringe. New construction in rural areas tends to be on larger lots — measured in acres, not tenths of acres — but represents a small share of overall construction activity.

In terms of how big these new homes are and how much they cost, there is somewhat of a pattern based on lot size. Generally speaking, with a larger lot, a bigger home is built, and the sale price is higher as a result. However when it comes to the small and medium-sized lots, there is less variation in the size of homes built and their sale price.

There are quite a few things going on here that we are not able to untangle with this particular data set. In the least charitable description, one could say developers are taking advantage of the smaller lots, building the same sized house and charging the same amount, or more, and thus reaping higher profits. However, these smaller lots tend to be more centrally located within urban areas where land values are higher due to stronger demand. As such, a more likely explanation would be that by spreading the high land costs across more housing units, builders are able to deliver the same sized house for roughly the same price as those built on somewhat larger lots that are likely less centrally locate. In this sense, smaller lot sizes act to help with affordability.

Read full article here: https://oregoneconomicanalysis.com/2018/09/07/fun-friday-new-construction-lot-size/

The post Fun Friday: New Construction Lot Size appeared first on Confident Construction Workforce.

Area prices were up 0.2 percent over the past month, up 3.6 percent from a year ago

Prices in the West Region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), inched up 0.2 percent in August, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) The August increase was influenced by higher prices for shelter and education and communication. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the CPI-U rose 3.6 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) Energy prices jumped 13.4 percent, largely the result of an increase in the price of gasoline. The index for all items less food and energy increased 3.1 percent over the year. (See table 1.)

 

Food

Food prices rose 0.3 percent for the month of August. (See table 1.) Prices for food at home and prices for food away from home each rose 0.3 percent for the same period.

Over the year, food prices rose 1.9 percent. Prices for food away from home rose 3.5 percent since a year ago, and prices for food at home rose 0.5 percent.

Energy

The energy index edged down 0.2 percent over the month. The decrease was mainly due to lower prices for gasoline (-1.2 percent). Prices for electricity were unchanged, while prices for natural gas service increased 6.1 percent for the same period.

Energy prices jumped 13.4 percent over the year, largely due to higher prices for gasoline (21.6 percent). Prices paid for natural gas service increased 5.1 percent, and prices for electricity advanced 2.4 percent during the past year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy inched up 0.2 percent in August. Higher prices for education and communication (0.8 percent), apparel (0.5 percent), and shelter (0.4 percent) were partially offset by lower prices for new vehicles (-0.8 percent), household furnishings and operations (-0.6 percent), and medical care (-0.4 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 3.1 percent. Components contributing to the increase included shelter (4.4 percent) and medical care (2.8 percent). Partly offsetting the increases was a price decline in apparel (-0.4 percent).

The September 2018 Consumer Price Index for the West Region is scheduled to be released on October 11, 2018.

Technical Note

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the average change in prices over time in a fixed market basket of goods and services. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes CPIs for two population groups: (1) a CPI for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) which covers approximately 93 percent of the total population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers 29 percent of the total population. The CPI-U includes, in addition to wage earners and clerical workers, groups such as professional, managerial, and technical workers, the self-employed, short-term workers, the unemployed, and retirees and others not in the labor force.

The CPI is based on prices of food, clothing, shelter, and fuels, transportation fares, charges for doctors’ and dentists’ services, drugs, and the other goods and services that people buy for day-to-day living. Each month, prices are collected in 75 urban areas across the country from about 5,000 housing units and approximately 22,000 retail establishments–department stores, supermarkets, hospitals, filling stations, and other types of stores and service establishments. All taxes directly associated with the purchase and use of items are included in the index.

The index measures price changes from a designated reference date (1982-84) that equals 100.0. An increase of 16.5 percent, for example, is shown as 116.5. This change can also be expressed in dollars as follows: the price of a base period “market basket” of goods and services in the CPI has risen from $10 in 1982-84 to $11.65. For further details see the CPI home page on the Internet at www.bls.gov/cpi and the BLS Handbook of Methods, Chapter 17, The Consumer Price Index, available on the Internet at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/homch17_a.htm.

In calculating the index, price changes for the various items in each location are averaged together with weights that represent their importance in the spending of the appropriate population group. Local data are then combined to obtain a U.S. city average. Because the sample size of a local area is smaller, the local area index is subject to substantially more sampling and other measurement error than the national index. In addition, local indexes are not adjusted for seasonal influences. As a result, local area indexes show greater volatility than the national index, although their long-term trends are quite similar. NOTE:Area indexes do not measure differences in the level of prices between cities; they only measure the average change in prices for each area since the base period.

The West Region covered in this release is comprised of the following thirteen states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Read full article here: https://www.bls.gov/regions/west/news-release/consumerpriceindex_west.htm

The post Consumer Price Index, West Region — August 2018 appeared first on Confident Construction Workforce.

In addition to a new standard minimum wage rate, the bill sets out a separate rate which will apply to employers located in the urban growth boundary of a metropolitan service district.  (Currently, only the Portland metropolitan area has an urban growth boundary.)  Finally, a third rate will apply within certain “nonurban” counties named in the bill:

Portland Metro

The Portland Metro rate applies to employers located within the urban growth boundary (UGB) of themetropolitan service district.

• Search by address to determine whether a site is located inside the UGB with Metro’s Urban Growth Boundary lookup tool.
• A map of the UGB is also available for download.

Nonurban counties

The nonurban rate applies to employers located within the following counties:

Oregon Minimum Wage Rates by County

NOTE: Employers located within Washington, Multnomah and Clackamas counties but NOT within the UGB will be subject to the standard rate, not the metro rate.

Read full article here: https://www.oregon.gov/boli/WHD/OMW/Pages/Minimum-Wage-Rate-Summary.aspx

The post Oregon Minimum Wage Rate Summary appeared first on Confident Construction Workforce.

Read full article here: https://www.oregon.gov/boli/WHD/docs/2018-2019%20MW%20Poster.pdf

The post Oregon Minimum Wage Rates appeared first on Confident Construction Workforce.

The post Oregon Nearing Full Employment in 2016 appeared first on Confident Construction Workforce.

The post Oregon Employment by Age appeared first on Confident Construction Workforce.

If you can afford health insurance but choose not to buy it, you must pay a fee called the individual shared responsibility payment. (The fee is sometimes called the “penalty,” “fine,” or “individual mandate.”)

• You owe the fee for any month you, your spouse, or your tax dependents don’t have health insurance that qualifies as minimum essential coverage. See all insurance types that qualify.
• You pay the fee when you file your federal tax return for the year you don’t have coverage.
• In some cases, you may qualify for a health coverage exemption from the requirement to have insurance. If you qualify, you won’t have to pay the fee. Learn about health coverage exemptions.

Learn more about the individual shared responsibility payment from the Internal Revenue Service.

The fee for not having health insurance in 2016 is calculated 2 different ways – as a percentage of your household income, and per person. You’ll pay whichever is higher.

Percentage of income:

• 2.5% of household income
• Maximum: Total yearly premium for the national average price of a Bronze plan sold through the Marketplace

Per person:

• $695 per adult
• $347.50 per child under 18
• Maximum: $2,085

Paying the fee:

• Using the percentage method, only the part of your household income that’s above the yearly tax filing threshold ($10,150 for individuals, $20,300 for couples filing jointly in 2014, the most recent year available) is counted.
• Using the per-person method, you pay only for people in your household who don’t have insurance coverage.
• If you have coverage for part of the year, the fee is 1/12 of the annual amount for each month you (or your tax dependents) don’t have coverage. If you’re uncovered only 1 or 2 months, you don’t have to pay the fee at all. Learn about the “short gap” exemption.
• You pay the fee when you file your federal tax return for the year you don’t have coverage.

The Individual Mandate – Affordable Care Act – ACA fee in previous years

The fee for not having coverage in 2015

The penalty for 2015 is the higher of these:

• 2% of household income
• Maximum: Total yearly premium for the national average price of a Bronze plan sold through the Marketplace

OR

• $325 per adult
• $162.50 per child under 18
• Maximum: $975

The fee for not having coverage in 2014

The penalty for 2014 is the higher of these:

• 1% of household income
• Maximum: Total yearly premium for the national average price of a Bronze plan sold through the Marketplace

OR

• $95 per adult
• $47.50 per child under 18
• Maximum: $285

Q&A’s from https://www.healthcare.gov/fees/fee-for-not-being-covered/

If I’m unemployed, do I have to pay the fee?

It depends on your household income.

If insurance is unaffordable to you based on your income, you may qualify for an exemption from the fee.
Check here: https://www.healthcare.gov/exemptions-tool/#/results/2015/details/marketplace-affordability

Other exemptions are based on low income too. Learn more about exemptions and how to claim them

Check here: https://www.healthcare.gov/health-coverage-exemptions/

What happens if I don’t pay the fee?

The IRS will hold back the amount of the fee from any future tax refunds.

There are no liens, levies, or criminal penalties for failing to pay the fee.

DISCLAIMER
Nothing on this notice or website is intended as legal advice.  Any responses to specific questions are based on the facts as we understand them, and not intended to apply to any other situations.  This communication is not an agency order.  If you need legal advice, please consult an attorney.  We attempt to update the information on this website as soon as practicable following changes or developments in the laws and rules affecting Oregon employers, but we make no warranties or representations, express or implied, about whether the information provided is current.  We urge you to check the applicable statutes and administrative rules yourself and to consult with legal counsel prior to taking action that may invoke employee rights or employer responsibilities or omitting to act when required by law to act.

The post 2016 – Individual Mandate – Affordable Care Act – ACA appeared first on Confident Construction Workforce.

What is Confident doing?

Confident has implemented our 2016 Oregon Sick Leave – Hourly Accrual System for all employees of each of the Confident companies.

Sick time policy – CLIENTS
Confident can help our client companies formulate a sick time policy that your company may adopt for your company’s compliance.  Confident Clients will be required to sign an addendum to your current Client Services Agreement, agreeing to compliance and cooperation of the new Oregon Sick Time Law.

Sick time policy – EMPLOYEES
Confident provides the BOLI Requirements of Oregon’s Sick Time Law on the employee portal for all employees to access on demand as well as our Sick Time policy and procedures. 

You can use these links to access related state laws online:

http://www.oregon.gov/boli/TA/docs/2015%20Sick%20Time%20Rules.pdf
http://www.oregon.gov/boli/TA/SiteAssets/Lists/FeaturedContent/EditForm/Sick%20Time%20Notification.pdf
http://www.oregon.gov/boli/TA/Pages/T_FAQ_OregonSickTime.aspx

Stay tuned to our website and social media accounts for updates, helpful information and tips for remaining compliant with the law.

Read the Requirements of Oregon’s Sick Time Law

Oregon Sick Time

Q.  What is Oregon Sick Time?
A.  Beginning January 1, 2016, all employers with more than 10 employees (6 in Portland) in Oregon must provide up to 40 hours of paid leave per year.  Employers with less than 10 employees (less than 6 in Portland) must provide 40 hours of unpaid protected sick time.

Q.  How does Oregon Sick Time accrue?
A.  Employees accrue 1 hour of sick time for every 30 hours worked or 1-1/3 hours for every 40 hours worked.

Q.  When are employees eligible to take Oregon Sick Time?
A.  Employees are eligible for Oregon Sick Time on their 91st day of employment.

Q.  What if I have 11 employees but only for a short period of time as seasonal employees?A.  For counting purposes, all employees (full-time, part-time, and temporary) will be looked at for determining the number of employees an employer has. The number of employees is calculated based on the number of employees an employer has per day during each of 20 workweeks in the calendar or fiscal year immediately preceding the year in which an employee’s sick time is to be taken.

Q.  What is meant by a Year?  How is it measured?
A. ”Year” includes any consecutive 12-month period, such as a calendar year, a tax year, a fiscal year, a contract year or the 12-month period beginning on the anniversary of the date of employment.

Q.  How much is an employee paid for Oregon Sick Time?
A.  Their regular rate of pay.  If an employee is paid on a commission or piece-rate, the employee needs to be paid at least Oregon minimum wage.

Q.  Does an employer have to pay sick time out when an employee leaves employment?
A.  No.  The statute is specific.  An employer does not have to pay out for accrued unused sick time.

Q.  What if an employer has an existing sick time or PTO?
A.  If this plan is, “substantially equivalent” or more generous to the employee than the minimums of the law, this policy shall be deemed, “in compliance.”

For what purposes may sick time be used? 

Employees are entitled to use sick time for the following purposes:

• For an employee’s or family member’s mental or physical illness, injury or health condition or need for medical diagnosis of these conditions or need for preventive medical care.
• To care for an infant or newly adopted child under 18, or for a newly placed foster child under 18, or for a child over 18 if the child is incapable of self-care because of mental or physical disability. 
• To care for a family member with a serious health condition.
• To recover from or seek treatment for a serious health condition that renders the employee unable to perform at least one of the essential functions of the employee’s job.
• To care for a child of the employee who is suffering from a non-serious illness, injury or condition.
• To deal with the death of a family member by attending the funeral or alternative, making arrangements necessitated by the death of a family member, or grieving the death of a family member.
• To seek legal or law enforcement assistance or remedies to ensure the health and safety of the employee or the employee’s minor child or dependent for proceedings related to domestic violence, harassment, sexual assault, or stalking.
• To seek medical treatment, recover from injuries, or obtain services related to domestic violence, sexual assault, harassment or stalking incidents to the employee or employee’s minor child or dependent.
• To donate sick time to another employee for qualifying purposes if the employer has a policy allowing such donations.
• For certain public health emergencies.

DISCLAIMER
Nothing on this notice or website is intended as legal advice.  Any responses to specific questions are based on the facts as we understand them, and not intended to apply to any other situations.  This communication is not an agency order.  If you need legal advice, please consult an attorney.  We attempt to update the information on this website as soon as practicable following changes or developments in the laws and rules affecting Oregon employers, but we make no warranties or representations, express or implied, about whether the information provided is current.  We urge you to check the applicable statutes and administrative rules yourself and to consult with legal counsel prior to taking action that may invoke employee rights or employer responsibilities or omitting to act when required by law to act.

The post Oregon Sick Leave – Statement of Compliance appeared first on Confident Construction Workforce.

How much sick time does the law require?

Employees begin accruing sick time on the first day of employment and earn one (1) hour of sick time for every 30 hours worked or 1 1/3 hours for every 40 hours worked. Employees may use accrued sick time on the 91st calendar day of employment and may use sick time as it is accrued.

Employers may choose to simply give employees (“front load”) 40 hours of sick time at the beginning of the year rather than track the number of sick time hours accrued. Employers may also select the 12-month period to be used as the designated “year”, e.g., calendar year, fiscal year, employee anniversary date, etc.

Employees may carry over up to 40 hours of unused sick time from one year to the next; however, employers may adopt policies that limit employees to accruing no more than 80 hours of sick time or using no more than 40 hours of sick time in a year.

Paid time off (PTO) policies that include time off for other purposes (such as vacation and other personal time off) comply with the sick time law as long as the policy is substantially equivalent to or more generous than the requirements of the law.

Employees must use accrued sick time in hourly increments unless to do so would pose an undue hardship to the employer, in which case the employer may require sick time to be taken in minimum increments of four hours if the employer allows employees to use at least 56 hours of paid leave per year.

When must sick time be paid?

Employers with 10 or more employees (6 or more in Portland) in the state must pay employees for sick time taken at the employee’s regular rate of pay. All other employers must provide unpaid sick time.

The number of all employees employed by the employer in Oregon must be counted – including fulltime, part-time and temporary employees.

Notices and Verification

In addition to providing a notice to employees of the requirements of the law, employers are required to provide quarterly notifications to employees of the amounts of accrued and unused sick time.

Employers may require employees to provide notices, verifications and certifications for using sick time under certain circumstances. For example, if the need for sick time is foreseeable, employers may require employees to provide up to 10-days’ notice of the need to use sick time. Refer to the law and rules for more information.

Discrimination/Retaliation Prohibited

It is unlawful for an employer to deny, interfere with, restrain or fail to pay for sick time to which an employee is entitled; or retaliate or in any way discriminate against an employee because the employee has inquired about the provisions of the law, submitted a request for or taken sick time. Complaints may be filed with the Bureau of Labor and Industries.

Collective Bargaining Agreement Exception

The sick time law does not apply to certain employees who are covered by a collective bargaining agreement, employed through a hiring hall and whose benefits are provided by a joint multi-employer-employee trust or benefit plan.

For what purposes may sick time be used?

Employees are entitled to use sick time for the following purposes:

• For an employee’s or family member’s mental or physical illness, injury or health condition or need for medical diagnosis of these conditions or need for preventive medical care.
• To care for an infant or newly adopted child under 18, or for a newly placed foster child under 18, or for a child over 18 if the child is incapable of self-care because of mental or physical disability.
• To care for a family member with a serious health condition.
• To recover from or seek treatment for a serious health condition that renders the employee unable to perform at least one of the essential functions of the employee’s job.
• To care for a child of the employee who is suffering from a non-serious illness, injury or condition.
• To deal with the death of a family member by attending the funeral or alternative, making arrangements necessitated by the death of a family member, or grieving the death of a family member.
• To seek legal or law enforcement assistance or remedies to ensure the health and safety of the employee or the employee’s minor child or dependent for proceedings related to domestic violence, harassment, sexual assault, or stalking.
• To seek medical treatment, recover from injuries, or obtain services related to domestic violence, sexual assault, harassment or stalking incidents to the employee or employee’s minor child or dependent.
• To donate sick time to another employee for qualifying purposes if the employer has a policy allowing such donations.
• For certain public health emergencies.

Provision of this notice to employees complies with the requirement in the sick time law for employers to provide written notice of the requirements of the law to employees.

For more information, visit our website at www.oregon.gov/boli, or contact us at 971-673-0761 or [email protected]

The post Requirements of Oregon’s Sick Time Law appeared first on Confident Construction Workforce.