Oregon Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights Signed Into Law

The Beaver State has joined California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and New York in providing new protections for nannies, housekeepers, and other domestic workers. The Oregon Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights (formally known as The Domestic Workers’ Protection Act) was signed into law on June 17th by Governor Kate Brown, and will go into effect on January 1, 2016. Household employers in Oregon should prepare to be compliant with the following new regulations:

• Domestic workers must be given at least one day off per week; if they work on their day off, they must receive overtime pay for each hour worked.
• Live-in workers must be given at least eight hours of time off during a 24 hour period and be provided a space with adequate conditions for uninterrupted sleep.
• Overtime pay rate is 1 ½ times the worker’s hourly rate for more than 40 hours worked, or 44 hours for live-in employees.
• Workers receive at least three personal leave days off each year, if the employee worked an average of at least 30 hours per week during the previous year.
• Workers have the right to cook their own food in the home, subject to reasonable restrictions based on the religious or health needs of the home’s residents.
• Workers are now protected under state laws regarding sexual harassment or harassment based on gender, race, national origin, religion, disability, or sexual orientation.

Note: the bill does not cover home care workers for seniors and persons with disabilities; occasional babysitters; independent contractors; the employer’s parent, spouse, or child under 26 years old.

If you have any questions about how this new law will affect you as a household employer, contact GTM at (888) 432-7972.