May 07 2020

COVID-19Safety and Health  

OREGON: New COVID-19 rule for worker housing & ag operations

On April 28, 2020, the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Oregon OSHA) adopted a temporary rule to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) in employer-provided housing, labor-intensive agricultural operations, and agricultural transportation. The new rule increases minimum standards for sanitation, toilet facilities, and handwashing facilities, and provides social distancing…

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May 07 2020

COVID-19Safety and Health  

OREGON: Governor issues guidance for reopening state

Today, Governor Kate Brown released a phased plan for reopening Oregon, which allows individual counties to begin reopening if they can meet certain prerequisites (e.g., declining cases of COVID-19, established testing regimen, contact tracing system, etc.). Some rural counties that have no or very few cases of COVID-19 (coronavirus) can…

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Apr 23 2020

COVID-19  

OREGON: Unemployment “waiting week” may be paid retroactively

Although the Oregon Employment Department believes it isn’t feasible to update its computer systems to waive the normal one-week waiting period to obtain unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, Oregon Governor Kate Brown says she’ll work with the department to make it happen. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES…

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Apr 16 2020

COVID-19Safety and Health  

OREGON: COVID-19 workplace safety spot checks are coming

Oregon OSHA recently announced it will begin spot-checking businesses for compliance with social distancing and other safety measures related to COVID-19 (coronavirus). This is in addition to the more thorough on-site inspections initiated by the agency. The on-site inspections will be driven by complaints from employees, who, as we previously…

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Apr 09 2020

COVID-19Leave Laws  

Extended school closures mean more leave requests

As school closures due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) are being extended, employers will likely see more leave requests from workers. Officials in Arizona, California, Oregon, and Washington have closed in-person instruction through the end of the school year. In Idaho, schools are closed through the end of the school year but…

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Apr 03 2020

COVID-19  

OREGON: BOLI clarifies temporary max hours for manufacturers

Earlier this week, we reported on a temporary rule that the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) adopted, permitting manufacturers of essential products to allow employees to work up to 91 hours in a workweek (13 hours per day times 7 days per week). BOLI adopted the rule to…

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Mar 31 2020

COVID-19Wage and Hour  

OREGON: Some manufacturers may exceed maximum weekly hours

The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) filed a temporary rule that permits manufacturers of certain non-perishable goods to allow employees to voluntarily work up to 91 hours in a workweek. This temporary rule is being adopted as an emergency response to the critical demand for certain non-perishable products…

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Mar 27 2020

COVID-19Safety and Health  

OREGON: Workers can report workplace COVID-19 safety violations

Oregon Governor Kate Brown is encouraging workers who believe their company isn’t following safety and health advisories related to COVID-19 (coronavirus) to file a report online with Oregon’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Oregon OSHA has the authority to investigate the complaint and require compliance with all workplace restrictions related to the…

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Jan 02 2020

Safety and Health  

State OSHA agency fines employers $825,000 on tip from fire marshal

The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Oregon OSHA) fined five employers in southern Oregon a total of $825,000 after a state fire marshal tipped off the agency about structural defects and other unsafe conditions in a building on the employers’ property. Several hemp producers in Josephine County, Oregon, used a…

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Nov 21 2019

Wage and Hour  

Oregon employers must ensure workers take meal periods

The Oregon Court of Appeals has ruled that employers have a duty to ensure that workers actually take the meal periods required by state regulations. With limited exceptions, the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI)’s regulations on meal and rest periods require employers to provide a 30-minute unpaid meal period for…

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