Oregon workers enjoy some of the strongest labor protection laws in the nation. And under a new set of laws passed earlier this year by the Legislature, the list of rules employers must follow continues to grow.
Some took effect Friday, including a law prohibiting prospective employers from asking candidates’ age or date of graduation and one expanding protections for workers awaiting appeals for paid leave benefits. The reforms come alongside other policy changes and court rulings that have strengthened the state’s sick leave protections and expanded the scope of wage theft investigations.
It represented a bright spot for workers in a year when Oregon’s annual minimum wage increased only 35 cents, the smallest rise in the past decade.
To help workers and employers navigate the new regulations, the Capital Chronicle compiled a list of some recent reforms, new laws and court decisions.
Labor and Industries Bureau expansion
The agency responsible for enforcing many worker protections, the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries, has become increasingly central in Oregon labor law. During the 2025 legislative session, lawmakers added $18.7 million to the agency’s 2025-27 budget.
That increase marks a nearly 31% increase from the previous budget. The agency says the change will allow it to clear a backlog of cases that forced it to stop investigating wage theft claims for workers making over $52,710 annually or $25.34 per hour back in October 2024. Agency leaders plan to seek...
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