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October 2010 |
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Volume 1 | Issue 9 |
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County May Have Duty to Accommodate Religious Employee Who Would Not Process Domestic Partnerships |
From Barran Liebman eAlerts Vol. 13, Issue 35, October 18, 2010
A recent decision from Oregon's federal district court addresses an employer's duty to accommodate an employee whose religious beliefs interfere with the performance of certain job functions. The name of the case is Slater v. Douglas
County.
The employee, who worked at the County Clerk's Office for ten years, asked to be excused from working on domestic partnership registrations because it would be adverse to her religious belief that homosexuality is a sin. The County denied
her request, stating that it would cause an undue hardship, but offered to help her find another position. The employee did not find another position, and was terminated when she re-affirmed her unwillingness to do work related to domestic
partnership registrations.
Subject to certain exceptions, state and federal laws allow employees to engage in religious expression in the workplace, and an employer may not discriminate against an employee on the basis of religion. If an employee establishes that he
or she was discriminated against on the basis of religion, the employer must show that it made a good faith effort to accommodate the employee's beliefs, or demonstrate that doing so would have caused an undue hardship on its business
operations...
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Upcoming Training Sessions |
November 18, 2010
Recognizing & Preventing Harassment
Time: 8:30am - 11:30am
Presenter:
Molly Kelley
Register for this workshop
Leadership Essentials
Time: 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Presenter:
Suzi Alligood
Register for this workshop
December 2, 2010
Health Care Reform Update: What to expect for 2011 & beyond
Time: 8:30am - 10:30am
Presenter:
Jeff Robertson, Barran Liebman
Register for this workshop |
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Top 5 Qualities of 'Best Companies' |
By
Tana Thomson
What differentiates a good company from a great company? Creating a great workplace is more than just good pay and benefits. It's about creating a place to work where there is a climate of trust, strong relationships with co-workers, and
active engagement between senior managers and employees. Best Companies generally have five fundamental elements present:
1) Credibility
2) Respect
3) Fairness
4) Pride
5) Camaraderie
Source: Great Places to Work Institute, Inc. Building the Best on a Solid Foundation (2007)
Credibility is essential to individual and company-wide success. Leaders can build credibility through effective communication, integrity, and mastery or competence in their job. Organizations should strive to create a culture of open
and honest feedback. It's even more important now than ever that companies are transparent and give employees the "real news, " even if it's news that you don't think they want to hear. Integrity can be gained through a leader "walking
their talk" and understanding the importance of seeing the employment relationship as a partnership with their employees.
Best Companies truly care about their employees and understand that the more they invest in an employee relationship the greater the return they will see. Respect is about valuing people and making them and their individual needs
important to you. It's about handling difficult conversations or situations with compassion and preserving dignity for all parties involved. Respect can also be gained through collaboration, seeking sincere input from your employees and
showing...
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The Value of Evaluations |
By
Molly Kelley
A recent article in the New York Times ("Time to Review Workplace Reviews?" by Tara Parker-Pope, May 17, 2010,
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/17/time-to-review-workplace-reviews/" ) raises interesting questions about the value of evaluations in the workplace, and their impact on employees.
Citing recent surveys showing an increase in workplace dissatisfaction and a new book by Samuel Culbert called "Get Rid of the Performance Review!," the article debates whether performance reviews are adding unnecessary stress to the work
environment.
Culbert, a psychologist, argues that reviews damage the important relationship... |
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PEO Client Spotlight: Oregon Historical Society |
Our valued client, Oregon Historical Society is facing deep budget cuts that threaten its future; read below for an appeal from OHS's Executive Director, George Vogt outlining an opportunity to support the organization's long term
future
Pennies for Oregon's Heritage.
Measure 26-118 will protect and preserve history and culture in our community.
Who are we? How did we get here? How can we better shape our future? The lessons of Oregon's history matter – but only if we and our children can learn them. Because of years of state funding cuts, we are about to lose that ability.
With Measure 26-118 we can keep public access to Oregon's unique history.
A local levy for Oregon Historical Society continues existing services and restores adequate hours for the museum and library:
Our History Museum offers a place for students, writers, researchers of Oregon's history and the public to study and learn about Oregon's history.
More and more schoolchildren are visiting– and more want to come on field trips to visit and learn at the Oregon History Museum.
Residents and researchers come to OHS to search for and discover information about their neighborhoods and old homes, local businesses, family history, and historical treasures from the attic. Many collections document the stories of
minorities and ethnic groups, such as Japanese Americans, African Americans, and Native Americans. The levy will restore full public access to the Research Library back up to 32+ hours per week (up from only 12 hours/week.)
What Happens to OHS Without Levy Funding?
The state has cut its funding to OHS dramatically; cash reserves are nearly gone.
Without Additional Funds, OHS will close facilities to the public beginning next year. |
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Important Client Notification |
Due to recent changes in Health Care Reform:
Beginning January 1, 2011 over-the-counter medications [OTC] and drugs (other than insulin, and other specified medically necessary items) will no longer be a reimbursable expense through your S125 plan, unless prescribed by your doctor.
To receive reimbursement for any over-the-counter items purchased after January 1, 2011 you must submit both a receipt and a valid prescription from your provider to Xenium.
If you have any questions in regards to this change please contact:
Jenn Banning
Benefits Coordinator
503-612-1574
Jenn.banning@xeniumhr.com |
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Business meetings a ‘privilege,' court rules |
By
Jeffery Jones,
Barran Liebman
The next time you have a dreaded business meeting, turn that frown upside down and remember that they are a "privilege" of employment - at least, according to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. In a recent opinion, the court decided
that not only are business meetings a "privilege," but also that inadequate employer support could constitute workplace discrimination.
Employers are quite familiar with the duty of reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. In most ADA cases, requests for accommodation are to enable an otherwise qualified employee with a disability to
perform essential functions of his or her job...
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Partner Spotlight: Balance Your World Bookkeeping |
Balance Your World Bookkeeping is a family owned and operated business. Our number one goal is to help our clients grow their business and be as profitable as they can. What sets us apart from other companies
is our personalization and dedication to every client small and large. At Balance Your World, we are equipped with a staff of experienced and qualified bookkeepers so there is always someone available to help.
Every company is different and bookkeeping is unique to each situation. There are many decisions to be made in determining what your company's bookkeeping needs are. How your books are presented can help you analyze those needs. Balance
Your World Bookkeeping will help you at each step along the way. We will recommend what we feel will be appropriate for your situation. Ultimately, a tailored, functioning bookkeeping system will be created to meet the requirements of
your company. It does take time and patience to properly organize bookkeeping, but we are dedicated to making bookkeeping as painless and as inexpensive as possible for you.
Contact:
Balance Your World Bookkeeping, Inc.
503-808-9083
balanceyourworldbookkeeping@integra.net
www.balanceyourworldbookkeeping.com
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