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Commissioner Stephenson announced specifics on upcoming changes to Oregon’s minimum wage.
For hours worked July 1st and forward, Oregon’s minimum wage rates will increase based on year-over-year inflation to:
- Standard Minimum Wage: $15.05 per hour
- Portland Metro Minimum Wage: $16.30 per hour
- Non-Urban Minimum Wage: $14.05 per hour
The current standard minimum wage rate is $14.70. Based on an increase in the CPI of 2.4% from March 2024 to March 2025, the new standard minimum rate will be:
$14.70 X 1.024 = $15.05 (rounded to the nearest five cents)
By statute, the Portland metro minimum wage is $1.25 more than the standard minimum wage, and the non-urban minimum wage is $1.00 less than the standard minimum wage. See additional information on Oregon’s minimum wage here.
Oregon employers are required to post minimum wage posters. Individual posters reflecting the new minimum wage rates as of July 1, 2024 will be available for download on BOLI’s website free of charge by June 15, 2024. Updated composite posters should be available for purchase by mid-May.
What Oregon employers need to know about immigration status
Although the Oregon Legislature is still in session and actively debating new workplace requirements, we thought it would be a good time to provide employers with guidance on compliance issues surrounding increased federal immigration enforcement. Our agency does not handle immigration issues directly, of course, but it’s important that Oregon employers understand relevant state requirements, especially regarding unlawful discrimination and prompt notification of federal audits.
What Employers Should Know:
- Oregon law requires employers to quickly notify workers about federal audits – including ICE raids.
If employers receive notice of a federal inspection of their I-9 records, they must notify employees within three business days and provide workers with additional information. Businesses may use this template to meet the law’s requirements.
Employers have the right not to consent to officers' entry into non-public areas of a workplace if the officers do not have a judicial warrant that gives them specific permission to enter.
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Employers may not discriminate against employees or applicants based on national origin.
Employers cannot treat employees or applicants differently because of national origin or immigration status if it has the purpose or effect of discriminating based on protected class. For example, employers may not improperly screen out job seekers based on national origin.
BOLI enforces civil rights protections and wage and hour laws for all employees working in Oregon, regardless of immigration status.
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Employers must complete and retain I-9 Employment Eligibility Forms for each employee, but they may not choose or dictate which forms of identity to accept for verification.
Best practices include calendaring expiring work authorization documents and updating those records as appropriate. If no applicable extension applies, continuing to employ someone whose temporary authorization has expired is unlawful. Remember, employees can choose which documents to submit to the employer for review as long as they are on the list of approved documents.
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Employers may not retaliate against employees by threatening deportation or a call to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when employees make good faith complaints about wages, sick time, safety conditions, or other workplace protections.
Similarly, employers may not use an employee’s immigration status as a pretextual reason to take adverse action when an employee exercises a workplace right, such as OSHA protections, workers’ compensation, whistleblowing, or other anti-discrimination and anti-retaliation protections.
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Public employers must follow Oregon’s sanctuary promise law.
State and local agencies may not ask about citizenship or immigration status to determine eligibility for a benefit unless required to do so by law. If a public agency collects such information, it generally may not share it unless required by court order.
In case you missed it
Together with Governor Kotek, Commissioner Stephenson announced a joint effort to protect students from bullying, discrimination, and harassment on the basis of race, national origin, and immigration status.
BOLI has begun building a new online Enforcement Policy Library! The first item to be published is new enforcement guidance affirming Oregon’s commitment to protecting students from discrimination based on race, national origin, or immigration status. This document outlines how Oregon law—independent of federal policy—safeguards students’ rights in public accommodations, including schools.
Enforcement Policy Library
Direct PDF Link
Questions? We can help!
As always, our staff are available to answer your employment law questions. Drop us a line by phone or email: 971-361-8400 | employer.assistance@boli.oregon.gov.
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