April 2026 Newsletter

Apr 2, 2026

April 2026 News You Can Use
 

Events
 
Want to explore all of our upcoming events?
 
Check out our
event calendar!
 
 
 
 

April’s Featured Training Topic:

Ensuring Employee Safety (Physical & Psychological)  
 
In our roles caring for and motivating our teams, we are often focused on our customers, clients, and services. But how often are we considering employee safety in the workplace, both physically and psychologically?
 
Take a quick internal audit to ask:
  • When was the last time we looked at workplace hazards and shared awareness with our team?
  • Do we have employees who work in states where Harassment or Bystander Training is mandatory?
  • Do our employees know what to do if…
    • They have a safety concern or experience an injury?
    • They have a concern or complaint about harassment or discrimination?
    • A coworker, customer, or non-customer should not be on-site or is escalated/potentially violent?
  • What will employees do on days when the temperature is over 80 degrees to avoid heat illness?
  • Do our employees understand how to celebrate our differences and interrupt harmful behaviors?
  • Are our managers of people trained to model and monitor safety in the workplace?
 
If you have any pause in the above questions, consider how to close the gaps by doing the following:
  1. Meet with your internal HR leaders and Safety Stakeholders and/or survey the team to identify areas of opportunity.
  2. Check with your HR Annie Consultant (if you’re a current client) to talk about safety programs and best practices.
  3. Reach out to our Training & Development Consultant to create a team-building and learning event that helps everyone gain safety awareness, confidence, and calm.
 
Reach out to us if you’re looking for extra support with closing any workplace safety gaps!
 
 
Reminder: New clients get $500 off a live, facilitated training when you book in the first six months!
 
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ON THE ONLINE COURSE LIBRARY

De-Escalation: Managing Stressful Situations

 
Spring tends to bring a shift in pace. More customers, more activity, and more complex interactions throughout the workday.
 
Employees may face stressful interactions with customers, non-customers, or coworkers in the workplace without the tools to handle these calmly and safely.
 
With that shift, De-Escalation awareness allows team members to have greater awareness, confidence, and commitment to safety.
 
Our De-Escalation: Managing Stressful Situations online course shares how to recognize and respond to escalating behaviors with confidence and compassion. 
 
After completing this course, you’ll walk away with…
  • Awareness of common stressors that cause escalating behaviors.
  • Knowledge of verbal & non-verbal signs to watch for and recognize.
  • Confidence in de-escalation techniques that lead to calm & resolve
  • Assurance of when to stop engaging and refer to emergency safety plans.
You’ll also earn .75 SHRM and .75 HRCI credits upon completion of the course.
 
The course is available anytime through our online learning platform (with English & Spanish captions), making it accessible and easy to fit into busy schedules. 
 
You can enroll yourself or roll it out across your organization so everyone heads into the season feeling prepared and supported.
 
Click the button below to get started!
 

 

HR Annie Recruitment Highlight

 

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How to Make Confident Hiring Decisions

 
Making a confident hiring decision takes more than reviewing applications and crossing your fingers.
 
A structured recruitment process (one that evaluates candidates at multiple touchpoints) is one of the most effective ways to protect your team and reduce the risk of a costly mis-hire.
 
At HR Annie Recruitment, our process is designed with that in mind. We use…
  • Targeted pre-screening questions to evaluate fit before a single interview is scheduled.
  • A PREP Profile Communication Assessment to help you understand how a candidate naturally communicates and collaborates.
  • Structured professional reference checks to verify real-world performance.
 
 Whether you’re a small business hiring for the first time or a growing organization looking to bring more consistency to your process, we can help you hire smarter and safer!
 
Curious what a more structured recruitment process could look like for your team? We’d love to connect.
 

 

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Hiring? Check Out this All-Star Candidate!

 
A seasoned People Operations and Business Operations professional with a strong record of building HR and operational infrastructure for high‑growth, multi‑state organizations.
 
They excel at creating scalable systems across the employee lifecycle—including recruiting, onboarding, performance management, compensation, compliance, and payroll—while also managing financial workflows, cross‑functional projects, and operational processes that improve efficiency and alignment.
 
Known for bringing clarity and structure to ambiguity, they serve as a strategic partner to executive teams, supporting organizational design, workforce planning, and leadership coaching.
 
With a systems-minded approach, strong technical aptitude, and a focus on employee experience and culture building, they offer a rare blend of strategic insight and hands-on execution.
 
Core Skills:
People & HR Operations
Business Operations
Leadership & Strategy
 
Previous Roles:
Director of Business Operations
Operations & Project Manager
Operations Manager
Talent Acquisition Coordinator
 
Interested in getting in touch with this candidate? Reach out to us to schedule an introduction!
 

 

 

Consulting
 

Is Your Workplace Ready for Summer Safety Season?

As we get closer to summertime, it’s a great time for employers to take stock of their workplace safety efforts.
 
Beyond being the right thing to do for your team, many safety practices are required by OSHA, and proactive planning helps reduce risks before they become issues.
 
Here are a few places to start:
 
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Build or Refresh Your Injury & Illness Prevention Program (IIPP)

A strong Injury and Illness Prevention Program is the backbone of any safety strategy. It outlines how your organization identifies hazards, trains employees, reports and investigates incidents, and continuously improves safety practices.
 
If you don’t have an IIPP, or if yours hasn’t been reviewed in a while, this is the perfect time to make updates.
 
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Conduct Your Own Workplace Safety Walkthrough

Periodic walkthroughs can help employers spot and prevent hazards early.
 
We can provide tools, checklists, and guidance to help you conduct your own effective internal review and ensure safety gaps are addressed quickly.
 
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Heat Illness Prevention

With hotter weather on the horizon, many states (including Oregon and Washington) require employers to implement heat illness prevention measures and provide training to employees who may be exposed to high temperatures.
 
We offer Heat Illness Prevention Training through our online learning platform, making it easy for employers to stay compliant and ensure employees know how to recognize and respond to heat-related risks.
 
 
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Wildfire Smoke Planning

If your employees are exposed to wildfire smoke during the season, employers should maintain air-quality monitoring practices, ensure appropriate PPE is available, and keep their wildfire smoke policies up to date.
 
We can help you ensure your written procedures align with OSHA requirements.
 
HR Annie Consulting can help you:
  • Develop or update your safety program and handbook policies
  • Form a compliant safety committee
  • Roll out company‑wide safety initiatives
  • Understand OSHA requirements that apply to your workplace
  • Train your team through our online learning platform
 
Reach out to learn more about how we can help you prepare for the summer safety season!
 

 

 

Client Love

 

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Client Shoutout: The Sports Bra

Meet The Sports Bra, the first-ever sports bar 100% dedicated to supporting and showing women’s sports. They have one location in Portland, and several others coming soon in St. Louis, Boston, Indianapolis, Maine, and Las Vegas!
 
The Sports Bra is a space created to champion girls and women (on and off the field) and to make everyone feel welcome, included, and celebrated. They have a delicious food menu, alongside cocktails featuring women-owned Freeland Spirits as well as beers, ciders, and kombuchas crafted by women.
 
And of course, the main event: women’s sports on the big screen. They show games from leagues across the country, including our new WNBA team, the Portland Fire!
 
If you’re in Portland, it’s absolutely worth a visit for yummy food, great drinks, and one of the most fun places to cheer on women’s sports.

 

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Getting to Know Our Central Eastside Community

We’re excited to share that we’re now members of the Central Eastside Industrial Council (CEIC)!
 
We recently attended our very first Central Eastside Social since moving into our SE Portland office, and it was such a great way to connect with the many businesses that make this neighborhood so vibrant.
 
A big thank you to Living Häus Beer Co. for hosting (and the great drinks) and to Proof Pizza for the delicious pizza.
 
We’re looking forward to getting to know all of our Central Eastside neighbors even more!

 

Pre-Employment Screening

 

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Hire With Confidence Using Pre-Employment Screening

 
Every new hire is a decision that affects your team, your customers, and your organization’s reputation.
 
A thorough pre-employment screening process is one of the simplest and most important steps you can take to hire with confidence, and to keep your workplace safe.
 
HR Annie’s background check services provide fast, reliable, and compliant screening, including criminal history checks, drug screening, employment verifications, and professional license verifications.
 
Whether you have an existing screening process or you’re building one from scratch, our team makes it easy to get the information you need before making an offer.
 
Ready to strengthen your hiring process? Click the button below to learn more or get in touch via email.
 

 

Giving Back
 

March Learning Lab Nonprofit – Rose Haven

 
For our most recent Learning Lab on emotional fatigue, our guest presenter, Tiffany Green, picked a nonprofit to support. We donated 100% of this event’s proceeds to Rose Haven, with our donation totaling over $300.
 
Rose Haven is a day shelter and community center serving women, children, and gender non-conforming folks experiencing the trauma of abuse, loss of home, and other disruptive life challenges.
 
CLICK HERE to learn more about this fantastic organization.

 

Thank you so much for being a part of everything we do.
 

#HRisCool

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