Oregon Employee Handbook

When your company hires employees in Oregon, you are required to comply with federal, state, and local employment laws. There are a variety of human resources and labor policies in the workplace that differ by state. Through your employee handbook, employers can easily document and distribute the correct policies to their employees to comply with the laws of each state.

Creating your Oregon Employee Handbook is a useful way to explain important policies and procedures, mitigate legal risk, and introduce employees to the expectations and operating practices of the organization.

Mosey has compiled the relevant policies a company with employees in Oregon must consider.

Oregon Employee Handbook Policies

There are 20 state and local employee handbook policies in Oregon.

Wage and Hour

Oregon Rest Break Policy

You are entitled to a 10-minute paid rest break for every four hours worked or major fraction thereof. Rest breaks must be taken approximately midway through each work segment, last a full 10 minutes, and cannot be combined with meal periods or used to shorten the workday.

Oregon Lactation Break Policy

You are entitled to reasonable breaks to express breast milk until your child is 18 months old. These breaks are unpaid unless they coincide with paid rest or meal periods. A private, clean, and secure space will be provided near your work area, excluding bathrooms, and equipped with an electrical outlet if available. The timing and frequency of breaks will be flexible to meet your needs. Employer strictly prohibits retaliation or discrimination for requesting or using lactation breaks.

Oregon Shift Scheduling Policy

You are entitled to receive your work schedule at least 14 calendar days in advance, including regular and on-call shifts, posted in an accessible location. You have the right to request changes to your availability and decline unscheduled shifts without fear of retaliation. You are also entitled to rest between shifts, with at least 10 hours between shifts unless you provide consent, and compensation at time-and-a-half for back-to-back shifts within the rest period. If your schedule changes after the 14-day notice, you will be compensated for additions or reductions. Voluntary participation in a standby list for additional shifts is allowed, but not mandatory.

Employer prohibits coercion, discrimination, or retaliation regarding scheduling or shift requests.

Oregon Minimum Wage Policy

You are entitled to a minimum wage in accordance with Oregon’s regional minimum wage rates that adjust annually for inflation. Effective July 1, 2025, the rates are $16.30/hour for the Portland Metro area, $15.05/hour for standard counties, and $14.05/hour for non-urban counties. All employees, including minors and trainees, must be paid at least the applicable rate; tip credits are not allowed.

Oregon Meal Break Policy

You are entitled to an unpaid meal break of at least 30 minutes during shifts of six or more hours, with an additional 30-minute break required if the shift exceeds 14 hours. Breaks must be scheduled based on shift length and you must be relieved of all duties. In certain situations, breaks may be shortened or worked through, in which case they must be compensated. Exceptions may apply due to unforeseen events or operational needs.

Vacation, Sick, and Safe Leaves

Leaves of Absence

Oregon Volunteer Emergency Responder Leave Policy

Employer will provide an unpaid leave of absence, upon request, to an employee who is a volunteer firefighter for a rural fire protection district or a firefighter employed by a city or private firefighting service to perform their duties.

Oregon Pregnancy Disability Leave Policy

Employer provides eligible employees with up to 24 weeks unpaid protected time off for pregnancy disability, in compliance with the Oregon Family Leave Act.

Oregon Military Family Leave Policy

Employer provides eligible employees with up to 14 days of unpaid job-protected leave when your spouse or domestic partner is a service member being deployed, in compliance with the Oregon Military Family Leave Act (OMFLA).

Oregon Paid Family and Medical Leave Policy

You are entitled to up to 12 weeks of paid leave for family, medical and safe leave.

Oregon Jury Duty Leave Policy

You are entitled to unpaid job-protected leave to serve as a juror. Unless directed otherwise by your manager, you should return to work at the completion of jury duty, even if for a partial day.

Oregon Bone Marrow Donation Leave Policy

Employer provides eligible employees with job-protected leave to donate bone marrow.

Oregon Bereavement Leave Policy

Employer provides eligible employees with unpaid protected time off for bereavement, in compliance with the Oregon Family Leave Act.

Oregon Domestic Violence Leave Policy

You are eligible to take reasonable, job-protected leave if you, your minor child, or your dependent are victims of domestic violence, harassment, sexual assault, stalking, or bias crimes. You may take leave to seek legal or law enforcement assistance, obtain medical treatment, receive counseling, or access victim services.

Oregon Military Service Leave Policy

You are entitled to job-protected, unpaid leave if you are a member of state organized militia and are called into active duty by the governor. You must report for work within a week of release from service.

Oregon Sick Child Leave Policy

Employer provides eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid protected time off to care for a sick child, in compliance with the Oregon Family Leave Act.

Privacy

Oregon Electronic Monitoring Policy

Employee should be advised that all telephone conversations or transmissions, electronic mail or transmissions, or internet access or usage by an employee on Employer devices or systems, including but not limited to the use of a computer, telephone, wire, radio or electromagnetic, photoelectronic or photo-optical systems, may be subject to monitoring.

Oregon Salary History Privacy Policy

Recruiters and hiring managers at Employer cannot ask candidates or their current or former employers about the candidate’s salary history.

Oregon Credit History Privacy Policy

Employer prohibits obtaining or using credit history information for employment purposes, including hiring, promotion, compensation, or other employment decisions, except in specific circumstances permitted by Oregon law.

Oregon Conviction History Privacy Policy

Employer prohibits employees, recruiters, and hiring managers from asking about or using criminal conviction history to exclude an applicant from an initial interview, except in specific situations allowed by Oregon law.

Oregon Social Media Privacy Policy

Generally, Employer is prohibited from accessing your personal social media accounts and will not discipline or terminate an employee for refusing to disclose their social media login information or for denying to provide access to their social media accounts.

Federal Employee Handbook Policies

Regardless of which states you have employees in, there are required federal policies that must be included in your employee handbook. In addition to any state-specific policies, your employee handbook for Oregon should contain the following federal policies.

• Anti-Harassment Policy
• Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy
• Anti-Retaliation Policy
• Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
• Reasonable Accommodation Policy

Handbook Policy Best Practices

In addition to the required federal policies, the following policies are best practices to include in your employee handbook.

• Prohibited Conduct Policy
• Violations Reporting Policy
• Workplace Violence Prevention Policy
• Weapons Policy
• Disciplinary Action Policy
• At-Will Employment
• Federal Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) Policy