Oregon Employment Laws

Prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, marital status, age (18+), disability, and family status. Enforced by the Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI). Applies to employers with 1+ employees.

Oregon uses a three-tier minimum wage adjusted annually for CPI: Portland metro ($16.30/hour), standard counties ($14.70/hour), and non-urban counties ($13.70/hour) as of July 2025. Annual adjustments occur every July 1.

Up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave per year (plus 2 additional weeks for pregnancy-related conditions). Funded by 1% of wages split: 60% employee / 40% employer. Maximum weekly benefit is $1,523.63 (2025). Employers with 25+ employees contribute; all employees are eligible after earning $1,000 in the base year.

All employees accrue 1 hour of sick time per 30 hours worked. Employers with 10+ employees (6+ in Portland) must provide paid sick time, up to 40 hours per year. Smaller employers must provide unpaid protected sick time.

Noncompete agreements are limited to 12 months maximum. Only enforceable if the employee earns at least $116,427/year (2024 threshold, adjusted annually). The employer must inform the employee of the noncompete in a written employment offer at least 2 weeks before employment begins. Garden leave (continued compensation) is required during the restricted period.

Oregon was the first state to ban the box statewide (2016). Employers cannot ask about criminal history on initial job applications. Background checks are permitted only after an initial interview or conditional offer.