FEELDS - A Natural Resource for a Growing Industry
FEELDS stands for Oregon Farm Bureau's Farm Employer Education & Legal Defense Service. It's a member-service program for Oregon Farm Bureau members. For only $66.25 per month, FEELDS helps you keep up with the frequently changing state and federal regulations. It helps you identify your business strengths and areas that might need some extra attention. FEELDS also provides you with a helping hand so you can be sure you are managing your employment situations correctly.
The program offers FEELDS members unlimited access to our nationally certified agricultural Human Resource Management consultant, Roberta Gruber, who has worked exclusively with agricultural employers for almost 20 years. As a FEELDS member, Roberta will visit with you (free) to help you with your employee concerns and help you put practical and effective solutions to work to save you money and avoid problems.
Another valuable service is the FEELDS legal defense service if you need an attorney to defend you in an employment related lawsuit or against demand letters relating to your agricultural employees. No more "litigate or settle" decisions based on economics instead of the merits of your case.
As a FEELDS member you receive:
* Frequent email updates and alerts about changes in employment or safety rules
* Required English and Spanish posters
* Employment policies in English and Spanish
* Spanish Translation service
* Bi-Monthly Compliance Newsletter
* Free admission to our popular annual Employer Conferences
* Free Human Resource Consultations (unlimited)
A sampling of what FEELDS members think of FEELDS:
We have been FEELDS members for several years. Ours is a horizontally and vertically diversified corporate fourth-generation family farm. In an operation such as ours, it's easy to justify but difficult to afford a human relations specialist. With several full-time employees who've been with us long-term, we feel more comfortable than with the dozens and dozens of short-term, seasonal and part-time help we need. For us, FEELDS has provided program review and translation services, on-site consultation and annual workshops along with telphone and email assistance, and answers as needed as a means to reduce our risk and increase our comfort as an employer. Lee Schrepel and Becky Ellis, FRUITHILL, INC. Yamhill, ORSeveral years ago when I was not a FEELDS member six employees filed sex and language discrimination charges against my company. Although the charges were all ultimately dropped, it was a devastating experience for me personally and divisive and damaging for my co-workers. I believed that something like that would never happen to my company, but it did. I feel much better prepared to do business in today's business environment with the regular information and counsel from Roberta. Ginger Steele, New Leaf Greenhouse, Cornelius, OR
FEELDS provides our company with professional, efficient and invaluable experience in dealing with and deciphering ever-changing Human Resource Management issues with regard to agricultural employees. FEELDS assists our company in keeping abreast of constantly changing state and federal labor regulations as well as providing us access to printed material for the purpose of posting updates at all of our locations. Maryann Emerson, Kraemer's Nursery, Mt. Angel, OR
We had an employee problem that FEELDS gave advice on and direction about how to handle the situation, and procedures to document the situation. Later when EEOC became involved, the FEELDS attorney was able to defend our position. Because of the way FEELDS helped us handle the situation, it was resolved without any expense on our part. The best part of the FEELDS program for us is knowing that we will get a quick reply to our questions. Jeanne Youngblood, Youngblood Nursery, Salem, OR
For more information and an application packet to join FEELDS contact Roberta Gruber, (503) 399-1701, ext. 316, or click here to send an e-mail.
News
Social Security Mis-Match: The Department of Homeland Security has revised portions of the "Safe Harbor" provisions to satisfy a District Court's concerns raised in 2007. The rules are currently in an open public comment period. We are waiting for DHS to review the public comments it receives and to finalize its position and publish final rules. Stay tuned.
FEELDS has created a flow chart to help agricultural employers understand the DHS "Safe Harbor" protocol. To get your copy, click on the link below.
New I-9 Form: In June of 2007, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued a new I-9 form that employers are to begin using. All previous versions of the I-9 Form are no longer valid. Employers who fail to use the most recent version of the I-9 Form will be subject to penalties if caught. For a link to the most current I-9 Form, click here: Newest I-9 Form
Newest I-9 Handbook for Employers: The USCIS has updated the Employer Handbook for the I-9 Form that corresponds to the new I-9 Form. For a copy of the Employer Handbook, click here: Employer Handbook for Form I-9
FEELDS Newsletter:
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