Brand stories are paid content articles that allow Oregon Business advertisers to share news about their organizations and engage with readers on business and public policy issues. The stories are produced in house by the Oregon Business marketing department. For more information, contact associate publisher Courtney Kutzman.

Concurrency of OFLA & Paid Leave Oregon

Generally, employees are eligible to take 16 (or up to 18 weeks) of total leave—including both unpaid OFLA leave and paid leave taken under Paid Leave Oregon—during a Paid Leave Oregon benefit year. Additionally, if an employee’s reason for leave qualifies under both Paid Leave Oregon and OFLA, the leave must be taken concurrently. However, employers may not require that their employees apply for Paid Leave Oregon benefits. 

In a nutshell, this means that OFLA leave taken prior to an employee beginning their Paid Leave Oregon benefit year will not reduce the amount of leave under Paid Leave Oregon they may be eligible to take. Similarly, OFLA leave taken before September 3, 2023, will not reduce the amount of leave under Paid Leave Oregon available. 

However, assuming that the employer’s Paid Leave Oregon and OFLA benefit years are aligned, this potential for “stacking” is eliminated if an employee chooses to apply for and take Paid Leave Oregon first or concurrently with OFLA. However, if an employee’s reason for leave qualifies under both Paid Leave Oregon and OFLA, but the employee decides not to apply for Paid Leave Oregon benefits at the outset, then that employee is entitled to exhaust their OFLA leave (for up to 36 weeks of protected leave) and subsequently apply for Paid Leave Oregon (for up to 14 weeks of protected leave). 

Conversely, if an employee’s reason for leave qualifies under both Paid Leave Oregon and OFLA, but the employee does decide to apply for Paid Leave Oregon benefits at the outset, then that employee will concurrently exhaust their Paid Leave Oregon and OFLA leave and may take up to a maximum of 14 weeks of paid leave under Paid Leave Oregon and up to an additional four weeks of unpaid OFLA leave during the same benefit year. 

Intermittent Parental Leave

Additionally, the fact sheet notes that, while OFLA permits an employer to require an employee to take parental leave all at once, Paid Leave Oregon allows parental leave to be taken intermittently.  Accordingly, employers must allow employees using Paid Leave Oregon to take parental leave intermittently so long as they take time off in full day increments. 

For additional information relating to Paid Leave Oregon, including all recent E-Alerts and publications that relate to Paid Leave Oregon, visit our Paid Leave Oregon webpage. Or contact Amy Angel at (503) 276-2195 or aangel@barran.com or Stacie Damazo at (503) 276-2121 or sdamazo@barran.com.

Brand stories are paid content articles that allow Oregon Business advertisers to share news about their organizations and engage with readers on business and public policy issues.  The stories are produced in house by the Oregon Business marketing department. For more information, contact associate publisher Courtney Kutzman.

“We decided to prioritize our people and create a sense of safety in a time of fear,” Lauseng says, noting that the firm’s culture provided the roadmap. “One of our tenets is we do the right thing, even when it’s not easy.”  

Lauseng had anticipated that the decision would hurt the accounting firm financially. By retaining top talent and driving thought leadership on how businesses could navigate the pandemic, however, demand increased, and Aldrich experienced the highest growth years in its history. The firm’s net promoter score doubled, and it brought in 100 new employees last year. 

This ethos of servant leadership was passed down from founder Kent Aldrich, who opened the firm in Salem, Oregon, in 1973. “He wanted to create something different, both in the way that clients were served as well as what the organization would mean in the lives of its people,” Lauseng says.

Aldrich’s innovative strategy was to create industry niches within the firm to help clients achieve their goals and build relationships with tax professionals who have real knowledge of their industries. As the firm added industries, it also created new companies dedicated to wealth management, benefits, and transaction advisory services under the Aldrich Group umbrella. It’s a core company belief that this entrepreneurial spirit positioned Aldrich to be a long-lasting business — the firm celebrated its 50th
anniversary this year — and they’re counting on the next generation to keep it alive. 

“We’ve succeeded by taking risks, investing in our future, and giving people early in their careers opportunities to launch new services or businesses,” Lauseng says. That investment starts with offering new graduates diverse experiences through Aldrich’s Promoting Opportunities and Outstanding Leaders (POOL) program. While new graduates in the profession typically start their careers by choosing between tax and audit, Aldrich gives them exposure to all types of services, industries, and teams before they decide where to focus. 

“We’re working hard to break the mold of a traditional career path,” Lauseng says. “We provide opportunities for people not just to pursue partner status, but to choose career paths that are more technical or more relational in nature, to create new businesses, to allow them to change their focus mid-career, and to flex up or down based on where they are in their lives.” 

Looking ahead to another 50 years, Lauseng wants to see the firm maintain its reputation and independence, as well as expand into new geographies and establish a succession plan. Aldrich is always looking for exceptional people to join their team, and to keep serving clients with integrity and innovation.

Aldrich is more than a CPA firm. See what services our firm offers at AldrichAdvisors.com.

Brand stories are paid content articles that allow Oregon Business advertisers to share news about their organizations and engage with readers on business and public policy issues.  The stories are produced in house by the Oregon Business marketing department. For more information, contact associate publisher Courtney Kutzman.

If your answer is, “It’s been a while,” or “I’ve never been,” you might want to reconsider. 

“We are a diverse, interesting, undiscovered gem of a community that has all kinds of art, music and culture,” says Beard, event manager for the Pendleton Convention Center. “And we really do excel in making people feel at home, that all their needs are met and that their expectations are exceeded, every time.” 

While Beard is talking about the larger Pendleton community, he’s also talking more specifically about events at the Pendleton Convention Center. Located next to the famed Pendleton Round-Up Stadium, the center offers up more than 40,000 square feet of meeting and event space for up to 3,500 people, nine breakout rooms, the latest broadband technology and a large, on site, commercial kitchen offering exclusive in house catering from the Pendleton Catering Company, which can cater meals for up to 600 attendees at a time. 

“If you are a regional corporation or organization, you have to come here,” Beard says. “We have world-class hospitality, great audio-visual and killer food. Once you’ve found those things, everything else goes away.” 

In addition to the facilities and amenities that the convention center offers, Beard says Pendleton itself is a prime location smack dab in the middle of the Northwest. It’s a three-hour drive from Portland, Boise and Spokane and four from Seattle or Bend. The city is consistently ranked one of the safest in the region, there’s virtually no traffic and it’s got all the draws of a big city with the feel of a friendly, tight-knit western town. 

Pendleton is also home to more than 40 restaurants — from high-end steak houses to pho shops and Thai food — 1,000 hotel rooms, two golf courses, several museums and unique attractions like the subterranean labyrinth known as the Pendleton Underground. 

“We are a community of fun-havers who like having company,” Beard says.

What’s more, there’s something extra coming to the Pendleton Convention Center in 2024: a brand new, 60,000-square-foot event center next door with an arena and spaces for food trucks. It’s all part of the package of attractions that Beard says should have anyone headed to Pendleton. 

“It’s an eddy in the big stream of life,” he says. “There’s a more relaxed pace, but we get things done. People come here not just because of this incredible facility, but because it’s in this engaging community that wants you here, that appreciates you being here.” 

Learn more at MeetinPendleton.com

Brand stories are paid content articles that allow Oregon Business advertisers to share news about their organizations and engage with readers on business and public policy issues.  The stories are produced in house by the Oregon Business marketing department. For more information, contact associate publisher Courtney Kutzman.

“Forty percent of women and thirty-six percent of men in Oregon experience domestic violence,” she says. “Fifty-four percent of women here experience sexual assault, and sixty-nine percent of kids in Oregon experience childhood trauma. Even if it’s not happening to you, it’s happening to someone you know—whether you know it or not—so it becomes an all-of-us problem.”

Paid Leave Oregon, with benefits beginning in September 2023, includes a safe leave component that provides up to 12 weeks paid time off for survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, harassment, or stalking. Someone who must request this type of leave opens a conversation that likely no one is used to having in the workplace, leaving managers and human resource professionals to educate themselves in preparation.

Strong collective impact

The FJC brings together 18 agencies in one physical location and coordinates services among them. Prior to the FJC’s creation in 2018, people had to navigate the system themselves, which meant figuring out which services they needed, contacting disparate agencies, explaining and repeating their stories multiple times, and traveling to various and dispersed locations.

“As a community, we wanted to do something better and offer more to survivors in Washington County,” says Rachel Schutz, FJC’s executive director. “We did a community map and figured out where all the different agencies were, what the steps were, and how many times someone would have to connect with all those places to get help. It’s challenging and that’s not even when you’re in a massively heightened emotional state from experiencing extremely traumatic situations.”

The co-located service model, used around the world, is considered a best practice in family violence intervention and prevention. It simplifies processes for survivors and allows collaboration among multiple agencies that share a common goal.

“It’s a lot of work. You can go fast if you go alone. But as the proverb goes, you can go far if you go together. This is what collective impact looks like,” says Schutz.

Currently, the FJC occupies a 14,000-square-foot rented building on the Beaverton-Hillsboro Highway accessible by public transportation. People arriving at the facility for the first time fill out a questionnaire that lists all available assistance options and can check off as many services as they need. Someone from the FJC then arranges meetings with relevant agencies, walks survivors through various processes, and facilitates as people move between offices. 

Onsite partners at the FJC include the Domestic Violence Resource Center, the Sexual Assault Resource Center, law enforcement as well as organizations that offer legal services, support groups, crisis intervention, mental health services, and more. A food pantry and clothing closet provide basics, and people can use showers and receive meals while at the FJC. In addition, on-site childcare means children do not have to accompany parents to appointments. Every day at 1 p.m., the Washington County Circuit Court holds a virtual docket during which a judge rules on protective order petitions, so someone can fill out paperwork in the morning and receive a judge’s ruling that afternoon. Afterwards, the court shares restraining orders with the sheriff’s office, which can serve them that day.

FJC’s phone and internet services—provided by Comcast Business—ensure collaboration and connectivity and also serve clients when the building is closed. The voicemail system directs off-hour callers to every partner’s available crisis line.

“That twenty-four hour, seven-day-a-week reliable service that doesn’t go out allows us to help survivors even when our doors aren’t open,” says Schutz.

Comcast Business also supports the FJC through fundraisers, such as its Denim & Diamonds Gala.

“The FJC’s dedication to fostering a safe and compassionate environment aligns with our values of community empowerment and technological innovation,” says Allison Lawr, senior enterprise sales manager at Comcast Business. “We are proud to support its unwavering commitment to providing essential support and resources to those experiencing domestic violence.”

A focus on breaking the cycle

Though the FJC provides crucial support and services, its ultimate goal is to break the cycle of violence, though that is not an easy task. Its survivor advisory board, VOICES, meets monthly and helps inform the FJC’s work while also giving people the opportunity to support other survivors.

“When you have just intervention, you stop the bad thing from happening, but you don’t give people something else,” says Schutz. “So, a focus is giving people and their children that longer-term stability, community, and sense of belonging to something so they don’t have to turn back to what they had.”

By 2026, the FJC will expand to a larger, owned facility and transition into the Family Peace Center, bringing in child abuse.

Brand stories are paid content articles that allow Oregon Business advertisers to share news about their organizations and engage with readers on business and public policy issues.  The stories are produced in house by the Oregon Business marketing department. For more information, contact associate publisher Courtney Kutzman.

Umatilla County contested the project based on a County ordinance that requires a two-mile setback between wind turbines and residences. Capital Power had previously negotiated waivers of any setbacks with affected property owners, and no turbine is planned within 1.25 miles of any residence, but the ordinance did not allow the two-mile limit to be waived. At EFSC, Capital Power contended that the ordinance did not apply because the mandatory setbacks were not consistent with Oregon’s statewide land use planning goals. Department of Energy staff agreed, and ultimately EFSC did as well.

A final order from EFSC is expected in August. Unless an appeal is filed with the Oregon Supreme Court within 60 days after the site certificate was issued, the developer can start pre-construction activities. The next step for Capital Power is to secure interconnection rights to the crowded northwest power grid. If ultimately built, Nolin Hills will be a watershed renewable energy facility for Oregon, demonstrating how wind, solar, and battery storage can be combined to provide a reliable and steady source of clean and green power.

The new law clarified the following five changes to OFLA and PLO:

1. How to calculate a benefit year;
2. Who is a qualifying family member;
3. What reinstatement rights employees have following protected leave;
4. When an employer must continue an employee’s benefits; and
5. Whether leave will run concurrently under the different systems.

First, SB 999 amends OFLA’s process for calculating the benefit year. Previously, OFLA provided Oregon employers options for calculating the one-year period during which eligible employees may take leave. PLO, however, does not provide options and, instead, requires employers to use a forward-looking method. Under SB 999, the forward-looking method will be required for both PLO and OFLA, effective July 1, 2024. As such, the benefit year will be the 12-month period beginning on the Sunday immediately before the date on which the leave commences. Employers should plan on updating their FMLA policies to align the benefit year calculations with the new law, but keep in mind that changes to the FMLA benefit year require at least 60 days’ notice and cannot impact an individual employee’s ability to take leave. These changes will, therefore, require careful planning.

Second, SB 999 amends OFLA’s definition of “family member” to mirror PLO and include individuals related by blood or affinity whose close relationship is the equivalent of a family relationship. Effective September 3, 2023, both PLO and OFLA define “family member” as:

• The spouse of a covered individual;
• A child of a covered individual or the child’s spouse or domestic partner;
• A parent of a covered individual or the parent’s spouse or domestic partner;
• A sibling or stepsibling of a covered individual or the sibling’s or stepsibling’s spouse or domestic partner;
• A grandparent of a covered individual or the grandparent’s spouse or domestic partner;
• A grandchild of a covered individual or the grandchild’s spouse or domestic partner;
• The domestic partner of a covered individual; or
• Any individual related by blood or affinity whose close association with a covered individual is the equivalent of a family relationship.

SB 999 directs the Oregon Employment Department and BOLI to adopt rules, no later than September 3, 2023, outlining what factors should be used in determining whether a close family relationship exists. We will keep you informed as this develops.

Third, SB 999 amends the reinstatement rights under OFLA and PLO. Both OFLA and PLO provide job protection rights for employees returning from leave; employers must return the employee to the same job position if that position still exists. The amendment does not change that requirement but, instead, addresses what employers must do when the position no longer exists. Effective September 3, 2023, if the employee’s position no longer exists upon returning from OFLA or PLO leave, employers must offer an equivalent position at a job site located within 50 miles of the employee’s former position. If equivalent positions are available at multiple job sites, the employer must first offer the position at the job site that is closest to the employee’s former job site.

Even with that amendment, however, job protection rights under OFLA and PLO are not perfectly aligned. Specifically, employees are entitled to job protection under OFLA if they have been employed at least 180 days and worked an average of 25 hours per week. Under PLO, on the other hand, employees need to have been employed at least 90 consecutive days with the employer to be entitled to job protection.

Fourth, SB 999 amends PLO to mirror the requirements for the continuation of benefits under OFLA. Effective September 3, 2023, if an employee takes protected leave under OFLA or PLO, the employer must maintain the employee’s health care benefits on the same terms and conditions as if the employee had not been on leave. If, during that period of family leave, an employer is required to pay any part of the costs of providing disability, life, or other insurance coverage that is normally paid by the employee, the employer may deduct those amounts upon the employee’s return from work until that amount is repaid. In no event can the total amount deducted exceed 10 percent of the employee’s gross pay each period.

Finally, SB 999 makes clear that, if leave qualifies as protected leave under FMLA, OFLA, or PLO, the leave must be taken concurrently with, and not in addition to, leave taken under the other leave laws. Put differently, employees may not stack their protected leave. If the leave qualifies under any combination of FMLA, OFLA, and PLO, the leave must be taken concurrently.

As we continue drawing nearer to the start of PLO, we will continue to monitor new rules and guidelines. For prior updates, please see:

Get Ready for Paid Leave Oregon

Paid Leave Oregon Equivalent Plan Applications Now Available

BOLI Clarifies Intersection Between Paid Leave Oregon and the Oregon Family Leave Act

This update is prepared for the general information of our clients and friends. It should not be regarded as legal advice. If you have questions about the issues raised here, please contact any of the attorneys in our Labor & Employment Practice Group, or the attorney with whom you normally consult.

Brand stories are paid content articles that allow Oregon Business advertisers to share news about their organizations and engage with readers on business and public policy issues.  The stories are produced in house by the Oregon Business marketing department. For more information, contact associate publisher Courtney Kutzman.

While hydrogen is abundant, it rarely exists in simple gas form. Instead, it must be separated from other elements. While the technology to split hydrogen from oxygen in a water molecule has existed for over 100 years, it has historically required much more electricity than to split hydrogen from fossil fuels. Accordingly, today’s hydrogen supply mostly originates from fossil fuels, and hydrogen production is responsible for about 830 metric tons or about 2.3% of worldwide energy-related carbon emissions.

Once you have hydrogen, the carbon impacts of its use are zero as the only byproduct of hydrogen combustion is water. Thus, hydrogen is used to produce numerous carbon-free fuels that operate like fossil fuels, and to drive carbon-free electric generators. It also has non-combustive uses in some industries like fertilizer production and steel manufacturing. The primary advantage of hydrogen over other renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, is that it can be stored without batteries and is “dispatchable,” meaning it can be delivered on demand in quantities that meet market needs.

In the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the federal government committed $8 billion to investment in the development of economically feasible and carbon-free utility scale hydrogen production, and Obsidian Renewables is one Oregon company that has accepted the challenge. Via its Hydrogen Hub, Obsidian proposes to develop two hydrogen electrolyzers and a network of pipelines across eastern Oregon and Washington to produce and deliver hydrogen. Obsidian’s electrolyzers will run on only water and produce oxygen as the only by-product. The electrolyzers will be powered by adjacent solar photovoltaic power plants to keep the entire process carbon-free.

Delivering hydrogen by pipeline will also have numerous carbon reduction benefits. Delivery by pipeline requires no fossil fuels, unlike delivery by rail or truck. The pipelines themselves also provide abundant storage and can easily be extended to new customers.

Initially, Obsidian expects traditional users of hydrogen to be its main customers, such as fertilizer and ammonia manufacturers, clean fuel vehicle fleets and back-up electricity generators that currently rely on diesel fuel. Over time, Obsidian expects users to include military bases, industrial parks and high-demand electricity users who can generate carbon-free electricity on-site and thereby avoid existing choke points on the congested transmission grid. By switching to hydrogen, these users can reduce both their carbon footprint through the direct use of carbon-free hydrogen as a fuel source and their actual footprint by eliminating space-consuming generators and diesel storage facilities.

Obsidian’s application for federal funding was filed in April and it’s expected that award recipients will be selected in late 2023.

Brand stories are paid content articles that allow Oregon Business advertisers to share news about their organizations and engage with readers on business and public policy issues.  The stories are produced in house by the Oregon Business marketing department. For more information, contact associate publisher Courtney Kutzman.

According to OLCC sources, the rule will mandate all new retailer license applicants and existing retailer license renewals to obtain a Tax Compliance Certification, demonstrating compliance with all state tax requirements, before the OLCC can approve the application. The requirement would apply to all “applicants” under OLCC rules, which generally includes individuals and entities with direct or indirect ownership stakes of 20% or more, as well as those with direct operational control over the licensed entity. Failure of any single applicant to demonstrate tax compliance will result in “inactivation” of the application. However, sources have confirmed that there will be a mechanism for licensees to remove certain applicants from the license who are unable to meet the tax compliance requirements.

Per the rule, “tax compliance” is not merely limited to taxes incurred in the course of business for a cannabis retailer – it includes all Oregon State cannabis sales, business, payroll, and personal taxes for every “applicant,” irrespective of the individual’s or entity’s role or involvement with the retailer license. As a result, a tax-compliant licensee could have an application inactivated based on the personal income tax delinquency of its business partners, even if unrelated to the cannabis industry or retail tax. For change of ownership applications, an inactivation effectively means denial, while renewal applications essentially face license cancellation. Notably, inactivation, unlike an application denial, does not grant applicants the right to a hearing to appeal the decision before an administrative law judge. Though we have yet to see the final language of the rule, we anticipate that many in the industry will be eager to challenge the rule based on a violation of licensees’ due process rights.

If the rule takes effect as expected on June 16, it would immediately impact all pending and future change of ownership applications. For license renewal applications, the rule would apply to licenses set to expire on or after September 15, 2023. However, specific details of the rule have not yet been made available to the public and might only be disclosed after the June 15 OLCC meeting. Following its adoption, the OLCC will initiate permanent rulemaking procedures to establish the rule on a long-term basis.

The proposed rule has raised concerns within the cannabis industry, particularly regarding the potential implications for businesses already facing numerous difficulties. Alongside challenges like depressed prices and new testing requirements, the introduction of the tax compliance rule adds another obstacle for businesses to navigate, and licensed retailers will need to consider how to structure (or restructure) their business ownership if there are significant equity holders with tax compliance issues. Our team is continuing to monitor these issues and is available to provide legal advice and support.

Questions? Please contact Ferdinand Ruplin or any of the other attorneys in Tonkon Torp’s Cannabis Industry Group. This update is prepared for the general information of our clients and friends. It should not be regarded as legal advice.

Brand stories are paid content articles that allow Oregon Business advertisers to share news about their organizations and engage with readers on business and public policy issues.  The stories are produced in house by the Oregon Business marketing department. For more information, contact associate publisher Courtney Kutzman.

“We have several homes in different cities, and entry was restricted to essential visitors only,” says Christina M. Reinikka, Work Unlimited CEO. “The people we serve were without their typical activities and opportunities for socialization in the community, so we did online Bingo every week. Thanks to Comcast Business, we were all able to connect, socialize, and check in with the people and the staff, which turned into a much-anticipated event throughout the dreary and isolating months of pandemic restrictions.” 

Work Unlimited serves around 100 clients in Benton, Polk, and Marion counties. In addition to 24-hour and supported living homes, the company also provides day support activities, Job coaching, and integrated, competitive, community employment , through its employment division.

The organization’s founder, H.D (Bud) Fredericks, was a career Marine Corps officer and Vietnam War veteran whose personal experiences led to a second career in special education. He and his wife, Dot, had five children, the fifth of whom was born in the late 1960s with Down’s Syndrome, and the couple found a dearth of services available to support their son’s special needs. After earning a Ph.D. in special education from the University of Oregon, Fredericks became a professor, author, and advocate. He founded Work Unlimited in 1985.

“Dr. Fredericks was determined that his son was going to be able to participate in the world,” says Reinikka. “The great thing about our company is that all the things that are being mandated and legislated now were in our original philosophy of supports. Everybody has the same civil rights. My civil rights are no different than anybody in our group home. That ethos was here from the very beginning.”

Reinikka started her career at Work Unlimited in 1989, working as a Direct Support Professional in a home for the first wave of people released from Oregon’s Fairview Training Center. This and a few other small homes were model projects established by Fredericks, the University of Oregon, and Western Oregon University’s Teaching Research Division, designed with the belief that even the most behaviorally challenged people can flourish when given the right support and opportunities.

“The transition between incarceration in the institution and community living posed huge challenges. People who were denied their basic needs and civil rights learned that only aggressive, disruptive, and often self-injurious behavior gave them a fighting chance of survival in the overcrowded and chaotic institution,” says Reinikka. “Dr. Fredericks firmly believed that those undesired behaviors would become ineffective and inefficient over time if people were integrated into their communities and given opportunities to live, work, play, and build relationships, coupled with behavioral support and life skills training to maximize each person’s capacity for independence.”

Reinikka notes that changing a person’s environment has the biggest impact on altering behavior, though that can take months or years. Work Unlimited’s Direct Support Professionals are trained to pay close attention to clients and gather data during positive or negative interactions to determine commonalities and make adjustments that might help. And though supporting youth and adults with behavioral challenges isn’t the job for everyone, many of the company’s long-tenured staff have a passion for helping and an appetite for challenge.

“This job not only strengthens character and empathy but also builds patience, creativity, courage, collaboration, and critical thinking skills, assets that can be translated into any career or working environment,” says Reinikka. 

Or, like Reinikka, they might make a career out of watching people live, grow, flourish, and triumph at Work Unlimited. 

“People who were formerly considered ‘extremely dangerous’ live in their own homes, and have community jobs. Some ride the bus independently. Everyone takes part in events and activities the community has to offer,” says Reinikka. “Although it’s not work for the faint of heart, it’s been a stunning success, and I am very proud to be a part of that.”

Brand stories are paid content articles that allow Oregon Business advertisers to share news about their organizations and engage with readers on business and public policy issues.  The stories are produced in house by the Oregon Business marketing department. For more information, contact associate publisher Courtney Kutzman.