New mothers in Oregon are eligible for up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave after the birth of a child, under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and, depending on the circumstances, an additional 12 weeks of leave under the Oregon Family Leave Act (OFLA). The Oregon Health Authority reports that approximately 58… Read More
Posts Categorized In: Portland
Portland Businesses Adjust for New Law
The state of Oregon, and the city of Portland in particular, have been seen as one of the most pro-employee states in the country, with the second highest minimum wage and many liberal employee friendly laws. In 2013, Portland became one of only a handful of jurisdictions to approve an employment ordinance requiring employers to… Read More
Victory for Oregon Employee in Domestic Partnership
Margaret Fonberg worked as a law clerk for the federal court system in Oregon. Fonberg and her same-sex partner could not legally marry in Oregon, but instead registered as domestic partners under the Oregon Family Fairness Act. The Act entitles registered domestic partners to all the same rights and responsibilities as married couples in the… Read More
Oregon Employees Lead Starbucks Class Action Suit
Oregon Employees Lead Starbucks Class Action Suit Three former Starbucks employees in Oregon recently filed a class action lawsuit in Oregon federal court against the coffee giant, claiming they made less than minimum wage because of the way the company dealt with tips on paystubs. According to the complaint, employees divide tips proportionally to the… Read More
Did the Oregon Court of Appeals Just Make it Easier for Plaintiffs to Plead and Prove Common-Law Wrongful Discharge Claims?
Perhaps. Buried deep, deep, and we mean deep in a lengthy decision resolving a procedurally convoluted case, the Court seemed to open the door a bit for plaintiffs seeking to prove claims of common-law wrongful discharge. As we’ve previously discussed, one way to succeed on such a claim is for the plaintiff to prove, among… Read More
Will Portland's City Council Follow Seattle's Lead and Enact a Paid Sick Leave Ordinance?
Over five years ago San Francisco’s paid sick leave ordinance went into effect, which required employers to provide paid sick leave to all employees working within the city limits. As we discussed in another post [click here], Seattle recently followed San Francisco’s example and enacted its own paid sick leave ordinance. (In fact, Seattle’s ordinance… Read More
Oregon's Military Family Leave Act (OMFLA) – Still Not Interpreted by the Courts
Oregon enacted its Military Family Leave Act (OMFLA) in June 2009. OMFLA requires employers with 25 or more employees to provide up to 14 days of family leave per deployment to employees whose spouses are in the military when certain conditions are met. First, a “period of military conflict” must presently exist. Second, the employee… Read More
Oregon Passes Law to Ban Job Ads Discriminating Against Unemployed Applicants
The Oregon House voted this last week to make it illegal to post a job advertisement discrimination against unemployed jobseekers. The proponents of this legislation say that job ads that exclude unemployed applicants is discouraging people who are struggling to make ends meet and find work in this tough economy. If the legislation passes, employers… Read More
Welcome to our Portland Employment Law Blog
Our lawyers are pleased to announce the launch of our Portland Employment Law Blog.