Oregon Labor and Industries stands ready to help employers of all sizes navigate sever​al new legislative requirements. Some of the most significant new laws include:

Pregnancy accommodations 

Employers with six or more employees must make reasonable accommodations for conditions arising out of pregnancy. These accommodations could include modification of equipment, more frequent or longer break periods, modification of schedules or assignments and other needs. Information and required notice template available HERE.

Expression of breast milk

Employers of all sizes – not just those with 25 or more employees – must now provide employees with reasonable time to express breast milk, at least until their child reaches 18 months of age. Employers may no longer require that an employee add this time to an existing break. Time spent expressing breast milk remains unpaid, but only employers with 10 or fewer employees may claim an undue hardship. Details available HERE​.

Workplace Fairness​

The Workplace Fairness Act represents the first significant update to the state’s sexual harassment laws since the #MeToo era, but the changes extend well beyond harassment. Oregon’s new law limits nondisclosure agreements and extends the statute of limitations for most employment-based civil rights complaints from one year to five. Employers must also create or update their harassment policies by October 2020. Oregon Labor and Industries will finalize its model policy no later than July, so stay tuned for a sample template. ​​ ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​