The 83rd Oregon legislative session is nearing its end and there are several employment bills still under consideration. Though nothing has been signed into law yet, these bills have the potential for major impacts on...more
On March 21, 2024, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek signed into law Senate Bill 1515, amending the Oregon Family Leave Act (“OFLA”) and the Paid Leave Oregon program (“PLO”). The bill is intended to better align the OFLA and PLO. ...more
On May 10, 2023, the Oregon Health Authority (“OHA”) announced that, effective May 11, it is suspending the statewide rule requiring that health care workers be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 unless they have an approved...more
On May 10, 2023, the Oregon Health Authority (“OHA”) announced that, effective May 11, it is suspending the statewide rule requiring that healthcare workers be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 unless they have an approved...more
Oregon employers that require arbitration for employment-related disputes recently received some good news from the Oregon Supreme Court. In Gist v. ZoAn Management, Inc., the Court rejected the plaintiff’s argument that his...more
7/19/2022
/ Arbitration ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Full-Time Employees ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Independent Contractors ,
OR Supreme Court ,
Oregon ,
State and Local Government
On February 7, 2022, the Oregon Health Authority (“OHA”) announced that it would lift the general state-wide indoor mask requirement no later than March 31, 2022. Per the OHA, the mask requirement for schools will also...more
Last week, Governor Kate Brown announced that the State of Oregon would require that all health care workers be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 unless they could prove they were entitled to a religious or medical...more
8/27/2021
/ Best Practices ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Home Healthcare Workers ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Oregon ,
OSHA ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Social Distancing ,
Workplace Safety
On August 19, 2021, just two weeks after announcing that all Oregon health care workers must either be fully vaccinated or test weekly for COVID-19, which we blogged about here, Governor Brown announced that vaccinations will...more
As we previously wrote about, the State of Oregon and Multnomah County are each imposing new indoor mask requirements beginning today, August 13, 2021, in response to the escalating COVID-19 pandemic driven by the Delta...more
Governor Kate Brown announced today that the State of Oregon would impose a state-wide mask mandate that applies to indoor spaces (effective date to be determined). It is unclear at this time whether employers will be...more
Earlier this afternoon, Multnomah County announced that effective Friday August 13 all individuals age five and older in Multnomah County will be required to wear masks in indoor public spaces, regardless of vaccination...more
Following an increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, and in line with recent CDC guidance designed to curb the well-publicized spread of the Delta variant, the Oregon Health Authority (“OHA”) is again recommending...more
Yesterday, the Oregon Occupational Health and Safety Administration (“OR OSHA”) issued a temporary rule to address employees’ exposure to the hazards posed by temperatures in excess of 80 degrees....more
On May 18, 2021, the Oregon Health Authority (“OHA”) published new COVID-19 guidance: “Interim Guidance for Fully Vaccinated Individuals” and “Statewide Reopening Guidance – Masks, Face Coverings, Face Shields.” Today, the...more
5/20/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Oregon ,
OSHA ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Public Health ,
Social Distancing ,
State and Local Government ,
Vaccinations
As we wrote about here, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) announced yesterday that fully vaccinated individuals can resume normal day-to-day activities without wearing masks or socially distancing. Hours...more
5/17/2021
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
Oregon ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Public Gatherings ,
Public Health ,
State and Local Government ,
Washington
It’s that time of year to prepare for minimum wage increases and update workplace posters. Beginning July 1, minimum wage rates throughout Oregon increase, to $13.25 for Portland Metro, $11.50 for Nonurban Counties, and...more
5/11/2021
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Regulations ,
Minimum Wage ,
Oregon ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Wage and Hour
As many of you know, effective November 16, 2020, the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OR OSHA”) adopted a comprehensive set of workplace safety rules designed to address the COVID-19 pandemic. (More...more
On Tuesday, the Oregon Health Authority sent a helpful reminder about a little-publicized benefit available to eligible Oregon employees in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic: temporary paid leave funded by the State...more