On June 15, 2021, Governor Kate Brown signed into law Senate Bill (SB) 483, which amends the Oregon Safe Employment Act to increase whistleblower protections for workplace safety complaints.
Articles Discussing General Topics In Oregon Labor & Employment Law.
Oregon Enacts Employment Protections for Hairstyles and Other Physical Characteristics Historically Associated With Race
On June 11, 2021, Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed into law House Bill 2935, also known as the CROWN Act (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair), joining several other states in explicitly prohibiting employers and public schools from discriminating against individuals based on physical characteristics historically associated
Oregon Updates and Expands the Oregon Family Leave Act
On June 8, 2021, Governor Kate Brown signed into law House Bill (HB) 2474, amending the Oregon Family Leave Act (OFLA) to update and expand the law’s eligibility and leave provisions. The amendments give eligibility to take leave to employees reemployed after a separation or returning after a temporary work
Oregon Enacts New Modifications to Noncompete Law for 2021
On May 21, 2021, Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed Senate Bill (SB) 169, making substantial changes to the statute that limits noncompetition agreements with Oregon employees, Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) 653.295. The changes apply to any employee noncompetition agreement entered into on or after the effective date of the act.
Oregon Amends Restrictive Covenant Statute to Further Limit Employers’ Use
Oregon law on permitted covenants not to compete has been amended to void nonconforming agreements and limit such agreements to employees making at least $100,533, among other changes.
Oregon Health Authority Issues New Vaccine Guidance—‘Interim Guidance for Fully Vaccinated Individuals’
On May 18, 2021, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) issued a new guidance titled, “Interim Guidance for Fully Vaccinated Individuals,” adjusting the applicability and enforcement of current state guidance for fully vaccinated individuals. Here are the key provisions of the new interim guidance.
Oregon Supreme Court Limits Employers’ Tools for Avoiding Excessive Attorney Fees for Minor Pay Violations
On December 31, 2020, the Oregon Supreme Court reversed the Oregon Court of Appeals’ decision in Mathis v. St. Helens Auto Center, Inc.
Oregon OSHA Finalizes Temporary COVID-19 Rule for All Workplaces
On November 6, 2020, the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Oregon OSHA), the state plan responsible for overseeing workplace safety and health in the state of Oregon, released its final COVID-19 temporary rule. The temporary rule is effective November 16, 2020, through May 4, 2021, unless revised or repealed
New Measures in Oregon Decriminalize Certain Narcotics and Legalize Psilocybin Therapy
Oregon voters approved two groundbreaking measures in the 2020 election season to become the first state in the nation to decriminalize personal possession of small amounts of certain controlled substances (Measure 110) and legalize the therapeutic usage of psilocybin in a controlled therapy setting (Measure 109). Many employers may be
Tripping on Hallucinogenics in Oregon: Two New Measures Decriminalize Certain Narcotics and Legalize Psilocybin Therapy
Oregon voters approved two groundbreaking measures in the 2020 election season to become the first state in the nation to decriminalize personal possession of small amounts of certain controlled substances (Measure 110) and legalize the therapeutic usage of psilocybin in a controlled therapy setting (Measure 109). Many employers may be
Oregon OSHA Issues COVID-19 Temporary Rule
Stepping in line behind Virginia and Michigan, the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“Oregon OSHA”) issued a Temporary Rule Addressing COVID-19 Workplace Risks (“Temporary Rule”) requiring Oregon employers to take certain actions in response to potential workplace exposures to coronavirus (“COVID-19”). Some provisions of Oregon OSHA’s temporary rule go
Oregon OSHA Issues Sweeping Temporary COVID-19 Safety Rules for Employers
On Friday, November 6, the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OR-OSHA) released the final Temporary Rule Addressing COVID-19 Workplace Risks. The Rule takes effect November 16, 2020, and requires all employers operating in Oregon to comply with a number of COVID-19-related mandatory health and safety standards.
Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries Issues Temporary Rules under the Oregon Family Leave Act for School or Child Care Provider Closures
In September 2020, the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) made permanent a previously-issued temporary rule expanding the Oregon Family Leave Act (OFLA) to include the need to care for a child whose school or child care provider has closed as a result of a statewide public health
Oregon OSHA Moves Forward with COVID-19 Temporary Standard
As circumstances from the coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic continue to evolve, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) has maintained reliance on Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (“OSH Act”), known as the General Duty Clause, and current standards to address workplace exposures to COVID-19.
Rather than
Final Key Provisions of Oregon’s Workplace Fairness Act Take Effect October 1, 2020
In the summer of 2019, Oregon enacted the Oregon Workplace Fairness Act (SB 726), which imposed sweeping new requirements on Oregon employers in response to the #MeToo movement. Although some of the law’s provisions took effect in September 2019, the remaining provisions take effect on October 1, 2020. Oregon employers