New Equal Pay Law for Oregon—Plus Updated Minimum Wage

Those busy beavers at Oregon’s Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) recently released new and updated workplace notices for 2018.

For starters, there is a brand-new notice for the Oregon Equal Pay Law, which has a publication date of 2/2018. Plus, the minimum wage poster has been updated to include adjusted minimum wage rates in three regions, effective July 1, 2018.

Provisions of Oregon’s Equal Pay Law

The Equal Pay notice includes two effective dates for certain provisions of the law, as outlined below.

Pay History

Effective October 6, 2017, employers may not ask applicants for employment or employees about their pay history until they have made an offer of employment that includes a compensation amount.

Employers should note that the salary history provision of the law won’t be enforced until January 1, 2019.

Prohibited Employer Practices

Effective January 1, 2019, employers may not, among other practices:

  • Discriminate between employees, based on an employee’s status as a member of a protected class, in the payment of wages or other compensation for work that is similar
  • Screen job applicants based on their current or past compensation
  • Determine the salary for a position based on current or past compensation of a prospective employee
  • Reduce an employee’s compensation to comply with the new law

Further Protections for Employees

The following Equal Pay Law provisions will be enforced effective January 1, 2019:

  • Amounts owed to an employee due to the failure of an employer to comply with the Equal Pay Law are considered unpaid wages.
  • Each subsequent payment of unfair wages to an employee is considered an additional unlawful compensation practice.
  • Employees may file complaints related to violations of the law with the Civil Rights Division of BOLI or file a civil action within one year after the occurrence of an unlawful practice.

Additional Information

For those who need to know more about the law, the Equal Pay notice provides contact information for the Bureau of Labor and Industries  (included are phone numbers for several BOLI offices in the state, a TTY phone number for the hearing impaired).

Updated Minimum Wage Rates

Minimum Wage Rates by Region

In addition to Oregon’s standard minimum wage rate, there are separate rates for employers in the Portland Metro area and certain non-urban counties.

The minimum wage rates that are in effect from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019, are as follows:

  • Standard: $10.75
  • Portland Metro: $12.00
  • Non-urban Counties: $10.50

As we told customers last year, if you’re unsure of the minimum wage rate in your area, you can go to the state’s Minimum Wage Rate Summary page, where you’ll find an address search tool, maps, a list of counties, and more to assist you.  

We Can Help You Stay in Compliance

That’s all the changes we need to report for the State of Oregon. If you have not already done so, sign up for our 1-Year Compliance Plan so that you will automatically receive the updated Oregon poster as soon as it is available. And because we provide free updates for mandatory changes, no matter how many occur during the 12-month period, you can always count on Poster Compliance Center to keep you in compliance!