Oregon Labor Laws
An employer guide for 2026

Oregon labor laws at a glance

Oregon uses a three-tier minimum wage that changes every July 1, bans tip credits, and has some of the most detailed break rules in the country. The Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) enforces most wage and hour laws. Here is the overview.

EZTime labor rule alerts flag overtime and missed rest periods before payroll.

Oregon minimum wage

According to BOLI's minimum wage page, these rates apply from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027:

Oregon adjusts its minimum wage each July 1 based on inflation, as shown on the minimum wage schedule. Rates for July 2025 were $15.05 standard, $16.30 Portland metro and $14.05 nonurban. There is no January 1, 2027 change, and BOLI has not yet announced the July 1, 2027 rates.

BOLI states plainly that tip credits are illegal in Oregon, so tipped employees must receive the full applicable minimum wage before tips. Oregon also does not allow a training wage: employees must earn at least minimum wage during every stage of employment, including on-the-job training.

Overtime in Oregon

Most Oregon employers must pay 1.5 times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. BOLI's overtime guidance adds several practical points:

• No general daily overtime: but employees of manufacturing establishments must receive overtime after 10 hours in a day and generally may not work more than 13 hours in any 24-hour period.
• Special industries: separate rules apply to canneries, bakeries and tortilla factories, hospitals, public works and some agricultural employers.
• Only hours worked count: paid sick time, vacation and holidays generally do not count toward the 40, unless a policy or contract says so.
• No comp time for private employers: only government agencies may offer comp time instead of overtime pay. Scheduling fewer hours the next week does not cancel overtime already owed.
• Regular rate: include nondiscretionary bonuses, and use a weighted average when an employee works at more than one rate in a week.

See the FLSA overtime guide for exemption tests and the overtime calculator for blended-rate weeks.

Meal and rest breaks

Oregon's break rules apply to nearly every employer. BOLI's meals and breaks page summarizes them:

• Rest breaks: a paid break of at least 10 minutes for every 4-hour segment or major part of one (more than 2 hours), taken near the middle of the segment. Breaks cannot be combined, added to a meal, or used to shorten the shift.
• Meal periods: at least 30 minutes, with full relief from duty, for non-exempt employees who work 6 or more hours. For a 6- to 7-hour shift, the meal falls after the 2nd hour and before the 5th; for longer shifts, after the 3rd hour and before the 6th. A second meal is required at 14 hours.
• Typical 8-hour shift: two paid 10-minute rest breaks and one unpaid 30-minute meal.
• Minors: rest breaks are 15 minutes per 4-hour segment, and 14- and 15-year-olds must always receive their meal period.

Limited exceptions exist, including a paid meal of 20 to 29 minutes where industry practice supports it, undue-hardship situations documented on a BOLI form, voluntary written meal waivers by adult tipped food and beverage servers, and no rest breaks for an adult working alone in retail or service for fewer than five hours in a 16-hour period. Employees cannot waive break rights otherwise. Separate rules require breaks to express breast milk.

Sick time and paid leave

Oregon's sick time law, explained on BOLI's sick time page, covers nearly all employers:

• Paid or unpaid: paid if the employer has 10 or more Oregon employees, or 6 or more with a location in Portland. Smaller employers must provide protected unpaid sick time.
• Accrual: 1 hour for every 30 hours worked, starting on the first day; or front-load at least 40 hours a year.
• Limits: you may cap use at 40 hours a year, carryover at 40 hours, and total balance at 80 hours.
• Waiting period: use can be delayed until the 91st calendar day of employment.
• Uses: own or family health needs, bonding with a new child, bereavement, domestic violence and related safety needs, public health emergency closures, certain evacuation orders, and high heat or poor air quality for workers who are not first responders.

Paid Leave Oregon provides up to 12 weeks of paid family, medical or safe leave in a year, plus up to 2 more weeks for pregnancy-related needs. For 2026 the total contribution is 1% of wages up to $184,500 (Oregon Employment Department). Employees pay 60% of the total, and employers with 25 or more employees pay the other 40%. Track balances with our PTO accrual calculator.

Paydays and final paychecks

Oregon paydays may not be more than 35 days apart, according to BOLI's paychecks page. Each paycheck must come with an itemized statement showing the amount and purpose of each deduction; paper statements are required unless the employee agrees to electronic ones they can print or store. Deductions must be required by law, or voluntarily authorized in writing and for the employee's benefit.

Large retail, hospitality and food service employers with 500 or more employees worldwide must also follow Oregon's predictive scheduling law: written schedules 14 calendar days in advance, a 10-hour rest window between shifts unless the worker agrees otherwise, and premium pay for many late changes.

Child labor hours

Instead of individual work permits, Oregon requires employers to hold an annual employment certificate before hiring anyone under 18 (BOLI minor workers). Employers can apply online.

Recordkeeping and posters

BOLI's required worksite postings page lets employers download required posters for free; posters are updated every July 1 and must be displayed where employees can regularly see them at each worksite. Additional notices apply to all employers (a Workplace Fairness Act policy), employers with six or more employees (a workplace accommodations notice), and specific industries. Keep accurate start, end and break times for every shift so you can prove break compliance; a time card calculator can help.

How EZTime helps Oregon employers

EZTime gives Oregon businesses one place to capture hours and keep them compliant. Employees can clock in from a GPS mobile time clock with geofencing, tap NFC tags at a job site, or use a tablet kiosk or biometric clock at the front door. Managers build shifts with templates and approve swaps in the scheduling software, get alerts before someone crosses an overtime threshold or misses a break, and track PTO and sick-leave balances automatically. At the end of the period, export payroll-ready Excel or PDF reports that work with any payroll software. Plans start from $2 per employee per month, with a 14-day trial — see pricing.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Laws change; check the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) or an employment attorney. Last reviewed November 2026.