Labor and Industries liaison seeks to aid small businesses

MOSES LAKE — Ron Langley loves his job.

The best part of holding the newly created small business liaison position for the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries is putting the pieces together and connecting people.

"I get the opportunity to pull several things together to meet a small business' need," he said. "They don't just need help with a claim, they don't just need how to figure out their rates, they don't just need help with their health and safety plan — they need all of those things."

Langley is able to put the business owner in touch with the proper resources.

"The fun part is, it blows people away," he said. "There's silence on the phone: 'You're really going to do that?' Yes, I am."

The liaison job was established in November 2005. Langley helps businesses who employ 20 people or less.

"That's a big group," he said.

About 145,000 of the roughly 170,000 employers in the state employ less than 20 people.

"It hovers around 85 to 90 percent," Langley added.

Such businesses don't generally have resources like staff or consultants to help them with such issues as workers' compensation and health and safety in the workplace.

"We discovered really those were the businesses in the most need of help," Langley said. "Bigger businesses usually have people who do that for them."

Langley's duties include acting as a resource for small businesses. He's talked with more than 300 employers in the past year, he said. He provides information tailored to small businesses, primarily in a monthly electronic newsletter providing department updates.

A third element entails what Langley calls listen and tell.

"I will do some talking, but I like to do a lot of listening and hearing what's going on out there, in general, but also specifically having to do with L&I things," he said. "I take that back to headquarters in Tumwater, and continually paint a picture for our management staff so they've got an idea from out there on the ground what small businesses need and how we're working with them or, in some cases, not working with them, so we can make those corrections."

Born in Eugene, Ore., Langley assumed the position following nine years in Spokane as a television reporter, and after working for the Department of Ecology, the City of Bellevue and the Department of Labor and Industries, all in community outreach and public relations capacity.

"I've found in 15 years of government service, there are certain skills you develop in working with people who need help," Langley said. "Sometimes they're not happy, and you develop the ability to move beyond, not take it personally, get to the point and make sure you can help somebody out and help them to go away happy."

The majority of people who call Langley know how to run a small business, he added, but they might not know how to work through a government bureaucracy, which is where he comes in.

Langley spoke Wednesday afternoon before the Rotary Club of Moses Lake, and visited staff at the department's Moses Lake office in July 2006.

He spoke to Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce Manager Bev Shuford and Big Bend Community College Center for Business and Industry Services Executive Director Allan Peterson about setting up sessions in the summer.

Shuford said Langley is scheduled to speak June 26 at the chamber board meeting.

"I think it's really important business owners hear what he has to say," she said. "The laws are always changing."

"Small businesses need to follow rules and need to know if the person is an independent contractor or not," Peterson said. "They need to have been established."

Langley includes a six-question test for employers offered at the seminar.

"A lot of issues around this people may not be aware of," Peterson said. "It's a good way to stay out of trouble. Ignorance is not bliss in this situation."

Langley said the session explains the difference between employees and independent contractors and help businesses avoid taking the wrong step.

"At first glance, it seems a little dry, but it's a big deal for small business," he said.

Small business owners consistently run up against finding and keeping good employees, especially without the ability to hire a human resources expert. But a small business can get into trouble by hiring independent contractors for help in order to avoid the hassles of keeping employees.

"That's great, as long as you do it right," Langley said. "Sometimes, that works out. Sometimes, if somebody doesn't get paid the way they think they should, gets hurt or something unexpected happens, that 'independent contractor' calls L&I. Then unfortunate things start to happen."

For more information, call Langley at 360-902-4205 or e-mail smallbusiness@LNI.wa.gov.