Holloway Human Resource Consulting

FYI, the state with the lowest minimum wage in the U.S. is Wyoming, at $5.15 per hour.

Under Oregon's new Smokefree Workplace Law, smoking will be prohibited in most public places and workplaces with few exceptions. Public place means any enclosed area open to the public. Place of employment means every enclosed area under the control of a public or private employer that employees frequent during the course of employment.

The DHS website says that complying with the new law will be easy:

· Make sure all employees are informed of the law and comply with its effective date of January 1, 2009.

· Prohibit smoking in the workplace and within 10 feet of all entrances, exits, windows and air intake vents.

· Post "No Smoking within 10 feet" signs at all building entrances and exits as required by law (free signs will be available soon).

· Remove all ashtrays and other receptacles for smoking debris from your workplace and from within 10 feet of entrances, exits, windows, and ventilation intakes as required by law.

· Talk with your customers and employees about the law.

· Provide training to employees about how to ask visitors and patrons not to smoke.

· Encourage employees who smoke to use the January 1, 2009 effective date as a date to quit smoking. Encourage them to call Oregon's toll-free QUIT LINE at 800-QUIT-NOW (800-784-8669) or, for Spanish, to call 877-2NO-FUME (877-266-3863).

As an employer, it will be your responsibility to ensure that your workplace is smokefree*.

More information on the new law is available from the Oregon Department of Health and Human Services website.

The Internal Revenue Service has issued the 2009 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes.

Beginning on Jan. 1, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups, or panel trucks) will be 55 cents per mile for business miles driven. The mileage rate for medical or moving purposes is 24 cents, while miles driven in service of charitable organizations is 14 cents.

The new rates for business, medical and moving purposes are slightly lower than rates for the second half of 2008 that were raised by a special adjustment mid-year in response to a spike in gasoline prices. The rate for charitable purposes is set by law and is unchanged from 2008.

The business mileage rate was 50.5 cents in the first half of 2008 and 58.5 cents in the second half. The medical and moving rate was 19 cents in the first half and 27 cents in the second half.

The mileage rates for 2009 reflect generally higher transportation costs compared to a year ago, but the rates also factor in the recent reversal of rising gasoline prices.


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