What employers in Oregon must do
Checked November 8, 2026From the agencies that run each program
Short answer
Employers in Oregon must pay at least $14.55 an hour, and as much as $16.80 depending on the region.
Oregon runs a paid leave program, Paid Leave Oregon, funded by a premium of 1% of wages in 2026.
Oregon employers covered by OregonSaves that don’t offer a qualified retirement plan must register by their deadline.
The next dated change in Oregon is November 15, 2026: OED posts each employer’s 2027 Paid Leave contribution rate information to Frances Online employer accounts; mailed notices go out by November 13. By rule the director announces the next year’s rate and maximum wage by November 15.
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Oregon requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Status | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage | In effect | $14.55 to $16.80 an hour, by region |
| Paid leave: Paid Leave Oregon | In effect | Every employer with employees working in Oregon, whatever its size. Employees qualify for benefits once they have earned at least $1,000 in Oregon in their base year. Self-employed people, independent contractors and Tribal governments aren’t covered automatically but can choose coverage; federal employees are not eligible. |
| Retirement mandate: OregonSaves | In effect | All Oregon employers (any employing unit with at least one worker in each of 18 weeks of a calendar year, or a quarterly payroll of $1,000 or more) that do not offer a qualified plan such as a 401(k), 403(b), Simplified Employee Pension (SEP), SIMPLE individual retirement account (IRA) or governmental 457(b) plan. Payroll deduction IRAs don’t count as a qualified plan. Employee count comes from the employer’s Oregon Quarterly Tax Report (Form OQ). Eligible employees are 18 or older with a Social Security number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), including part-time and seasonal workers employed more than 60 days in a calendar year. |
Pay rules Oregon employers must follow
- Paydays
- Regular paydays no more than 35 days apart.
- Final paycheck, fired
- By the end of the next business day.
- Final paycheck, quit
- With at least 48 hours’ notice (not counting weekends and holidays): on the last day. Without that notice: within 5 business days or by the next regular payday, whichever comes first.
- Meal breaks
- 30-minute meal break for work periods of 6 hours or more, with more meal breaks on shifts of 14 hours or more.
- Rest breaks
- Paid 10-minute rest break for every 4 hours worked (or most of 4 hours), separate from meal breaks.
- Overtime
- Time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek. Mills, factories and manufacturing plants, and some canneries, driers and packing plants, also pay overtime after 10 hours in a day.
- New hire reporting
- Within 20 days of hire, to the Oregon Child Support Program (Oregon Department of Justice). Since January 1, 2024, independent contractors who submit a W-9 tax form and are expected to work more than 20 days in a calendar year must also be reported within 20 days.
From the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) and the U.S. Department of Labor’s state tables, checked November 8, 2026.
Upcoming Oregon deadlines
· Paid leave
Paid Leave Oregon: The 2027 contribution rate and maximum wage take effect
The rate cannot exceed 1%, and by law the wage cap follows the Social Security wage base, which is $192,300 for 2027.
· Paid leave
Paid Leave Oregon: Fourth-quarter 2026 Oregon Combined Quarterly Tax Report and Paid Leave contributions due
January 31, 2027 is a Sunday, so the deadline moves to Monday.
· Paid leave
Paid Leave Oregon: Second-quarter 2027 report and contributions due
July 31 is a Saturday, so the deadline moves to Monday.
· Paid leave
Paid Leave Oregon: Third-quarter 2027 report and contributions due
October 31 is a Sunday, so the deadline moves to Monday.
· Paid leave
Paid Leave Oregon: First-quarter 2028 report and contributions due
April 30 is a Sunday, so the deadline moves to Monday.
Deadline calendar for every state · How to hire your first employee · Employer law changes for 2027 · All states
Sources
- Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI)
- Oregon Employment Department (OED), Paid Leave Oregon
- Oregon Retirement Savings Board (Oregon State Treasury)
- State Payday Requirements (last revised January 1, 2023), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
- Minimum Length of Meal Period Required under State Law for Adult Employees in Private Sector (last revised January 1, 2023), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
- Minimum Paid Rest Period Requirements Under State Law for Adult Employees in Private Sector (last revised January 1, 2023), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
- State Minimum Wage Laws, including premium (overtime) pay after designated hours (updated November 5, 2026), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
- Paychecks, Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (read Nov 7, 2026)
- Meals and Breaks, Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (read Nov 7, 2026)
- Overtime: manufacturing and canneries, Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (read Nov 7, 2026)
- Report New Hires, Oregon Department of Justice, Child Support Program (read Nov 8, 2026)