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What I’ve Been Reading This Week


Whoever thought working remotely would mean there would be more hours in the day to get things done was a bit off.  Granted, saving time commuting has been nice, but with conference calls, Zoom hearings/trials, and emails only a finger click away, I found little spare time to read through articles.  However, I did find a few that are well worth a read.

As always, below are a couple articles that caught my eye this week.


Unfair Labor Practice Trials to Resume June 1st

Recently, the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) announced that it would resume unfair labor practice trials on June 1st, after putting them on hold back in March when the coronavirus pandemic first began.  Interesting enough, it was announced that some trials would occur in person while others would be conducted remotely.  Regardless, this announcement should be viewed as good news as the NLRB further moves to open back up and run as normal.



Pamela DeLoatch over at HRDive wrote an article earlier this month in which she recognized the importance of employers continuing to conduct investigations over alleged workplace misconduct even while working from home.  As with any good HR professional that becomes aware of a potential issue in the workplace, DeLoatch suggests action be quickly taken to get an understanding of what the issue is, obtain written statements from those involved, conduct video calls to interview employees, and take steps to document the investigation as it progresses.  As always, each situation is unique and will differ based upon the employer and employees, but this article has a few helpful suggestions.



On July 1st, the hourly minimum wage rate in Oregon is set to increase, although the particular increase varies based upon regions of the state.  One particular seaside town, Astoria, will see hourly wage rates rise from $11.25 to $12/hour.  While many have championed a higher wage rate for years, some are starting to express concern over this upcoming pay hike as employers struggle to keep the doors open.  In this case, Astoria Mayor Bruce Jones recently spoke out in support of increasing the minimum wage rate but suggested that delaying the wage hike would be prudent.  With July 1st around the corner, those hoping for a delayed implementation of the statewide wage increase in Oregon are facing a fast approaching deadline.

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