Along with establishing equal pay standards, employers are also now prohibited from asking potential employees about their compensation history. These new requirements apply to any Oregon employer with one or more employees. To minimize risk of charges or damages, employers are able to complete a thorough survey every three years regarding their work force to demonstrate that employees doing similar work are being paid similar amounts.

This new change may open the door for a slew of pay increases or potential complaints and issues for employers if they are not ready to follow the new law requirements. The Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) has opened up numerous free best practice guides for Oregon employers who want to best understand how to comply with the new employment statute. (You can check out the guides here)

The equal pay act protects the following classes:

-Race
-Color
-Religion
-Sex
-Sexual orientation
-National origin
-Marital status
-Veteran status
-Disability
-Age

The exceptions to the act for acceptable pay differences include:

-Seniority or merit
-Work location
-Education
-Training
-Experience
-Or a combination of these factors

To see the full amendment to the law you can go to oregon.gov here. If you are an employer in Oregon and have any questions regarding this new legislation, please view the document and resources above to see if your questions can be answered or email our customer service team.

The post Oregon Equal Pay Act: What Employers Should Know appeared first on Blueline.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), who filed the charges, claimed that applicants over 40 years old had been denied jobs at thirty-five Seasons 52 restaurants around the country. The EEOC stated that these actions were in violation with the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) and based their claim on more than 135 applicants’ sworn testimony.

Applicants who testified stated that hiring mangers asked their age and made age-related comments during interviews. Alleged statements that applicants were told included that Seasons 52 “wasn’t looking for old white guys” and that they were looking for “fresh” employees with less experience.

Laurie McCann, a senior attorney for the AARP Foundation in Washington D.C. said, “This case is an indication of how far we still need to go when it comes to age discrimination 50 years after the enactment of the ADEA. We are pleased that the EEOC is pursuing these hiring cases. The agency is in a much better position than individuals to go after hiring discrimination.”

Under the ADEA, employers are not allowed to:

-Mention age or state that a certain age is preferred in job advertisements or recruiting materials
-Set age limits for training programs
-Retaliate against you if you file charges of age discrimination
-Force you to retire at a specific age (except for few exceptions)

Seasons 52 is a part of Darden Restaurants, a Fortune 500 company, who also owns Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Bahama Breeze, Yard House, and the Capital Grille.

Trail Attorney Kristen Foslid said, “Although ageism is among the most common forms of employment discrimination, applicants who are turned down rarely know the reason why. When an employer has a trend of rejecting older applicants, the EEOC will respond aggressively to combat age stereotypes.”

The post Fortune 500 Company Settles Age Discrimination Lawsuit For $2.85 Million appeared first on Blueline.